Bill > HB1795

This bill aims to enhance student safety in public schools and educational programs by significantly restricting the use of restraint and isolation, with a goal of banning isolation practices by 2031. It clarifies that "restraint" includes chemical, mechanical, and physical interventions that restrict a student's movement or breathing, while "isolation" means confining a student alone in an enclosure from which they cannot leave, excluding voluntary use of quiet spaces for self-calming or temporary removal to an unlocked area for behavior intervention. The bill prohibits certain life-threatening physical restraints, chemical restraints, and mechanical restraints, and requires that any permissible restraint or isolation must be an immediate response to a spontaneous behavior posing an imminent likelihood of serious harm to the student or others, and must be discontinued as soon as that risk dissipates. It mandates that individualized education programs (IEPs) or plans under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 cannot include restraint or isolation as a planned intervention unless medically necessary, documented by a licensed health care provider, and requested by the parent or guardian with informed written consent. The bill also establishes new requirements for reporting incidents of restraint and isolation, including immediate notification to administrators and detailed written reports to the school district superintendent or equivalent, with summaries of this data to be published annually by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to track trends and inform investigations into practices aimed at reducing restraint and isolation. Furthermore, it prohibits the creation of rooms specifically designed for student isolation, while still allowing for voluntary quiet spaces.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1795&Year=2025&Initiative=false