HB 291 Summary

• Manual physical restraint on students with disabilities is permitted only in emergencies when there is imminent risk of serious injury or death, and only by certified personnel using district-approved techniques.

• Seclusion is prohibited entirely; time-out is allowed only when part of a positive behavioral intervention plan, limited to 1 minute per year of age, with the student constantly observed and not physically prevented from leaving.

• School personnel are prohibited from using prone/supine restraint, pain inducement, bone locks, choking, pressure on chest/neck/head, mechanical restraint, and 8 other specified dangerous techniques.

• Schools must conduct medical evaluations after restraint, notify parents within the same school day, provide incident reports within 3 school days, and send weekly redacted reports to Disability Rights Florida.

• School districts must develop comprehensive policies including training procedures, personnel authorization, data collection and analysis, and district-wide plans to reduce restraint and seclusion use; policies must be filed with the state by January 31, 2012, and the state must publish restraint data online by January 31, 2014.