
Contact your legislators here to show your support for federal bills that can help end harmful, traumatic crisis management practices in school.
Federal Legislation

Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act 2022
Aims to prevent institutional child abuse, neglect, and death by first increasing oversight and data transparency of youth residential treatment programs that purport to provide ‘treatment’ to foster youth, children from the juvenile justice systems, youth with disabilities, migrant youth, and youth placed directly by their parents or mental health professionals. The prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse happening in youth residential programs have child advocates calling for more transparency within these institutions. Send your legislators a message showing your support for this bipartisan federal bill!
State Legislation
California

California: Short-term residential therapeutic programs: dashboard: seclusion or behavior restraints (S.1043)
This bill would require residential therapeutic facilities to publish data on the use of restraint and seclusion on a public dashboard on its website. It would also require parents or guardians to be notified when restraints and seclusion are used on minors.

California SB 483: Pupil rights: prone restraint
Aimes to prohibit the use of prone restraint, whereby a student is physically or mechanically restrained in a face down position, in California schools. Current state legislation allows prone restraint to be used in schools by trained personnel, stipulating that school personnel must observe the student for “any sign of physical distress” and that the student’s hands cannot be restrained behind their back. Senate Bill 483 expands on the protection of current legislation by banning all uses of prone restraint.

California: (AB 2806) Child care and developmental services: preschool: expulsion and suspension: mental health services: reimbursement rates.
This bill would revise provisions relating to expulsion or unenrollment of a child from a state preschool program. It would require the respective departments and Child Care Providers United (CCPU) to establish a joint labor-management committee to discuss suspension and expulsion practices among family child care providers and make recommendations related to prohibiting the expulsion or suspension of a child. It would increase state data collection requirements, develop state guidelines and provide support for staff training for programs with high numbers of suspension and expulsion.
Colorado

Colorado H B23-1191 Prohibits Corporal Punishment of Children
Prohibits a person employed by or volunteering in a public school, a state-licensed child care center, a family child care home, or a specialized group facility from imposing corporal punishment on a child. Corporal punishment is defined as the willful infliction of, or wilfully causing the infliction of, physical pain on a child.

Colorado: Supportive Learning Environments for K-12 Students
Requires the Department of Education to collect data related to chronic absenteeism rates, the number of in-school and out-of-school suspensions, the number of expulsions, the number of students handcuffed or restrained, the number of referrals to law enforcement, and the number of school-related arrests. Requires the Department of Education to create school district profiles relating to school climate. Increases restrictions on the use of restraints. Provides additional training for school staff. Develops new policies regarding hiring, training, and evaluating school resource officers. Provide an additional $2 million to continue the expelled and at-risk student services program.
Idaho

Idaho HB 281a: Act to revise provisions regarding classroom behavior and prohibit certain disciplinary actions.
Aims to prohibit corporal punishment as a classroom punishment method, prohibit restraint and seclusion as a form of discipline, clarify that restraint and seclusion can only be used in emergency situations, require the state department of education to prepare resources and training for staff, and require all school districts, public charter, and private schools to have a restraint and seclusion policy.
Illinois

Illinois: Prohibit Corporal Punishment in Private Schools (HB 4175)
House Bill 4175 aims to prohibit corporal punishment in private schools. This would implement the same restrictions on corporal punishment in private schools that Illinois public schools are already subject to. Corporal punishment is defined as slapping or paddling a student, the prolonged maintenance of a student in a physically painful position, or the intentional infliction of bodily harm on a student.
New Hampshire

New Hampshire: AN ACT relative to out-of-home placements for children (SB 417-FN)
This bill revises criteria for out-of-home placement of children under the Child Protection Act and other juvenile statutes and establishes an order of preference based on placement with the child’s siblings and proximity to the child’s community of origin.
Oregon

Oregon: Senate Bill 790:Relating to violations of laws prohibiting harming students; amending ORS 419B.005; and declaring an emergency.
Modifies definition of “abuse” for purposes of child abuse to include violations of existing laws prohibiting infliction of corporal punishment and use of restraint and seclusion on students.
Washington

Washington (HB 1239): An Act relating to establishing a simple and uniform system for complaints related to, and instituting a code of educator ethics for, conduct within or involving public elementary and secondary schools.
This bill aims to remove teachers from the list of caregivers who are permitted to physically discipline students. HB 1239 also states that the superintendent of public instruction will establish a simple classification of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system. Complaints may be submitted by any individual who has first-hand knowledge of a violation of federal, state, or local laws, policies and procedures, or codes of conduct related to public elementary and secondary education. Lastly, the Washington professional educator standards board and the paraeducator board will provide recommendations for the code of educator ethics to the appropriate committees by January 31, 2024.