CS/HB 63 - Students with Disabilities in Public Schools

• Establishes comprehensive definitions and regulations for restraint and seclusion of students with disabilities, permitting physical restraint only when there is imminent risk of serious injury or death and prohibiting 10 specific dangerous techniques including choking, prone restraint, and chest compression.

• Requires exclusionary and nonexclusionary time to be part of positive behavioral intervention plans, limited to 1 minute per year of age or until student is calm, with constant adult supervision and documented prior use of other behavioral supports.

• Mandates school districts report training procedures in special policies manuals and requires training to include de-escalation, risk assessment, specific techniques, team implementation, medical emergency procedures, and CPR.

• Requires incident reports within 24 hours documenting student information, incident details, behavioral strategies used, and immediate notification to parents with written follow-up within 3 school days, plus monthly data reporting to department for public website access by October 1, 2018.

• Requires continuing education and inservice training for teachers of students with emotional or behavioral disabilities covering positive behavioral supports, appropriate restraint and seclusion use, and behavior management strategies.