Thursday, February 4, 2010

LEG NEWS: U.S. House Bill - H.R. 4247 on changing restraint and seclusion policy in U.S. schools passes House Committee

Thursday, February 4, 2010, the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor passed by a bipartisan vote of 34 to 10,
H.R. 4247: The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act -
"To prevent and reduce the use of physical restraint and seclusion in schools, and for other purposes".

This bill, which would regulate the use of restraint, seclusion and other practices in all U.S. public schools, has been the subject of considerable public attention since its introduction on December 9, 2009.

The impetus for H.R. 4247's introduction by Representatives George Miller, 7th-D, CA & Cathy McMorris Rodgers, 5th-D. WA, was a May 19, 2009 hearing before the House Committee on Education and Labor examining the abusive and deadly use of seclusion and restraint in schools, in addition to an investigative report by the GAO, and the report: School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools by the National Disability Rights Network.

A related bill is S.2860 (Dodd) "A bill to protect students from inappropriate seclusion and physical restraint, and for other purposes"

The next step for H.R. 4247 is the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.


For further reading

H.R. 4247 at Thomas.gov

Seclusions and Restraints: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers.  GAO-09-719T, May 19, 2009


School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools
National Disability Rights Network, January 2009

Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Abuse in Schools Clears House Committee
February 4, 2010 12:30 PM

MYTH VS. FACT: Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in the Schools Act
By Kittredge, Betsy Miller on February 3, 2010 11:05 AM
EdLabor Journal. Committee on Education & Labor
 

H.R. 4247 - Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act
U.S. House Committee on Education & Labor
Full Committee Markup 11:00 AM, February 4, 2010 2175 Rayburn H.O.B
Washington, DC


News of the Day: The Story Behind The Bill
By Kruger, Mike on February 4, 2010 10:30 AM |
School Restraint, Seclusion Bill Clears House Committee
By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop
February 4, 2010


Past Blog Posts
All past blog posts on the topic and introduction of H.R. 4247 & S.2860

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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org