SB 2616 Summary

• Establishes regulations for use of manual physical restraint, mechanical restraint, and seclusion on students with disabilities in Florida public schools, permitting use only in emergencies or as part of comprehensive behavior intervention plans developed by certified behavior analysts

• Prohibits specific dangerous restraint techniques including choking, bone locks, joint hyperextension, pressure on chest/neck/abdomen, peer restraint, and techniques involving facial contact or mouth/nose covering

• Requires school personnel to be certified or trained in district-approved restraint methods, with annual refresher training, and mandates medical evaluation of students during or immediately after physical restraint

• Establishes parent notification requirements, incident reporting procedures due within 24 hours of restraint release, and monitoring at student, classroom, building, district, and state levels with data aggregation and analysis

• Requires school districts to develop and file comprehensive policies and procedures addressing restraint use, personnel authorization, training, incident reporting, data collection, and ongoing reduction of restraint use by January 31, 2011