SUMMARY:

This bill would limit the use of restraint and isolation practices in schools. 

• Chemical and mechanical restraint would be banned, and other forms would only be permissible in limited circumstances 

• Isolation would be limited among most students and banned among young students (PreK-5), with some exceptions (like with permission from parents, certain health professionals, or an Individualized Education Plan [IEP]) 

• Schools can apply for waivers to continue practicing isolation through 2031 

• Schools would no longer be allowed to construct or remodel buildings to include isolation rooms or enclosed areas designed for isolating students. 

The bill requires certain incident notification and follow-up procedures in schools and requirements for the state too provide professional development, training, and technical assistance to school staff and boards around these requirements and preventative behavioral supports in schools.  

The bill would also include money for ongoing demonstration sites at certain schools for other districts to observe and learn from. This means money for schools to demonstrate what reduced isolation and restraint practices look like in a real-world setting, along with an increase in other, positive behavioral practices. 

POINTS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS BILL 

This is not the first time a bill has been introduced that proposes limiting or banning restraint and isolation practices in Washington. Advocates, parents, students, teachers, and others have been pushing for reform around these practices for years, especially in the past 3 legislative sessions. The contents of this particular bill generally take a step in the right direction, although the original language and intent has been reworked significantly in negotiations over the years.  

 Data about Restraint & Isolation in Washington: 

• In the 2019-2020 school year, there were 25,415 incidents of restraint and isolation across the state. 

• 3,825 students were subjected to these incidents, which means many of the same students were isolated or restrained repeatedly throughout the year. 

• 92% of K-12 students restrained and/or isolated that year have an intellectual or developmental disability. 

• In addition to students with disabilities, Black students at every grade level experience restraint and isolation disproportionately more than their peers (at twice their proportion of enrollment). Moreover, 80% of incidents overall happen to male students. 

• Interviews of students who have experienced restraint & isolation report lasting physical and emotional trauma because of the abuse of these classroom practices. 

Other Resources:

• Read the ACLU of Washington and Disability Rights Washington's report on Isolation and Restraint 

• Watch this LEVinar about Ending Isolation Practices with a panel of advocates, experts, and survivors

•  Read the OSPI Crisis Response Legislative Workgroup report on the issue