HB 411 - Student Discipline Summary

• Replaces "codes of student conduct" with "standards for intervention" that emphasize restorative justice practices, community involvement, and understanding root causes of misbehavior rather than purely punitive approaches.

• Prohibits arrests and law enforcement referrals for petty acts of misconduct (disorderly conduct, minor fights, simple assault/battery, etc.) unless failure to do so would endanger school safety; requires written documentation for any arrests or referrals.

• Requires school districts to adopt discipline matrices that identify behaviors not subject to exclusionary discipline (tardiness, dress code violations, minor disruptions) and mandate in-school interventions be documented before out-of-school suspension or expulsion is considered.

• Mandates school resource officers and safety officers receive training in child development, cultural competency, restorative justice, and age-appropriate responses; limits their authority to arrest students only for serious threats to school safety with principal consultation.

• Requires school districts to annually review school safety program effectiveness, fund support staff (counselors, social workers), implement restorative justice practices, and use alternatives to expulsion unless they pose a threat to school safety.