The House passed an amendment on L.D. 1373, the bill dealing with restrictions around restraint and seclusion, but that amendment did not resolve the serious issues we have with the bill. The amendment continues to include a dramatic limitation on restraint or seclusion, saying it can only be used if there is an imminent, new risk of “serious physical injury”. That is defined in federal Special Education Law to mean: a bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death, extreme physical pain, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of a bodily function, organ, or mental faculty.
That means you could not physically stop a student who is about to punch someone in the face or stomach or push someone down on the ground.
We don’t believe any parent wants schools to permit such actions simply because they would not meet the “serious physical injury” standard found in federal law.
Please ask your Senators to vote against L.D. 1373 because even in its amended form it is not in the best interest of the students we serve.
Please contact your Senators now. This bill will be voted on when they return to Augusta on June 30.