SB 144 Summary

• Prohibits school personnel from using seclusion, prone/supine restraint, mechanical restraint, and specific dangerous techniques (choking, pressure on chest/neck, pain inducement) on students with disabilities.

• Restricts manual physical restraint to emergency situations with imminent risk of serious injury or death, requiring it be applied only by certified personnel using the least possible force and discontinued immediately when the threat ceases.

• Requires medical evaluation of students after restraint, parent notification before end of school day, incident reports within 24 hours, and sending redacted reports weekly to the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.

• Mandates annual refresher training and initial certification for all staff using restraint, including deescalation techniques, risk assessment, medical emergency procedures, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

• Requires school districts to develop policies addressing allowable restraint use, authorized personnel, training procedures, data analysis, and a plan for reducing restraint use, with revisions filed to the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services.