Sponsors (42)
The bill prioritizes reducing harmful seclusion and restraint and strengthens transparency, training, and enforcement supports—especially for students with disabilities and young children—but does so by imposing significant administrative, reporting, training, and legal costs on states, districts, and schools and still leaves some schools (e.g., unsupported private schools and homeschools) outside its protections.
Students (including students with disabilities and young children) will face fewer instances of seclusion and harmful physical restraint because the bill creates clear definitions, emphasizes PBIS and evidence‑based behavioral interventions, and requires prevention‑focused training, state oversight, and reporting.
Schools, program personnel, and states gain a consistent federal framework (uniform definitions, required crisis‑intervention training and recertification) to design policies, training, and practices that reduce harmful or inconsistent responses.
Parents, protection & advocacy systems, and communities receive greater transparency and faster access to incident information (annual public reports, 24‑hour injury/death notifications, public comment opportunities), improving oversight and ability to advocate for children.
State education agencies, local school districts, and LEAs will incur substantial administrative, training, reporting, and compliance costs (recertification, annual plans, disaggregated reports, site visits), straining budgets and staff time.
Expanded monitoring, reporting requirements, and a broader private right of action (plus potential abrogation of sovereign immunity) could drive increased litigation and associated legal and administrative costs for public programs and staff.
Compliance and reporting obligations — and the risk of funding loss for violations — may divert limited school resources away from direct student supports if federal grant funding is insufficient, competitive, or delayed.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Bans unlawful seclusion and many restraints in federally funded education programs, requires state plans, monitoring, training, reporting, and authorizes $40M/year for FY2026–FY2030.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Donald Sternoff Beyer · Last progress December 11, 2025
Prohibits subjecting students in programs that receive federal funds to unlawful seclusion or restraint, defines prohibited practices (including many mechanical, chemical, and certain physical restraints), and requires state oversight, reporting, and approved crisis‑intervention training. It creates civil remedies and federal enforcement tools, requires notification and data-sharing after serious injury or death, directs a national assessment of effectiveness, and authorizes $40 million per year for FY2026–FY2030 to implement the law.