MS HB491

Prohibits school personnel from using seclusion, mechanical restraints, chemical restraints, and physical restraints that restrict breathing on any student, with limited exceptions for imminent danger of serious bodily injury.

Bans use of all prohibited restraint and seclusion methods on students with cognitive or intellectual disabilities or developmental delays as indicated in their IEP or 504 Plan.

Allows physical restraint only as last resort when student's behavior poses imminent danger of serious bodily injury, less restrictive interventions have failed, restraint is applied by trained personnel with continuous face-to-face monitoring, and restraint ends when danger ceases.

Establishes standards for exclusion time-out requiring supervision at all times, line-of-sight monitoring, prohibition of locked doors, and maximum duration of one hour per instance.

Requires local school districts to submit annual plans and reports to the State Board of Education documenting incidents of restraint and seclusion, disaggregated by whether incidents resulted in injury or death, and to implement state-approved crisis intervention training programs.