Executive Summary
Summary
The House version of this bill (HB 1479) has gone through numerous discussions, negotiations, and changes since its introduction. In its current form, the bill proposes the following:
The bill would limit the use of restraint and isolation practices in schools, with several exceptions, in the coming years.
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Chemical and mechanical restraint would be banned, and other forms would only be permissible in limited circumstances
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Isolation would be banned among young students but permissible if a district is granted a waiver or if a child is given doctor’s notes exempting them from this ban
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Isolation rooms would eventually need to be taken away or repurposed so it was no longer possible for schools to lock students in the these rooms
The bill would also improve isolation and restraint data reporting requirements across the state and provide professional development, training, and technical assistance to school staff and boards around these requirements and preventative behavioral supports in schools.
See also this 1-Pager Bill Summary: Banning Isolation and Restraint in Schools (authored by ACLU of Washington, The Arc of King County, Disability Rights Washington, League of Education Voters, Roots of Inclusion, and Team Child)
Key Points
Data about Restraint & Isolation in Washington:(For this information & more, visit this resource from Open Doors for Multicultural Families)
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In the 2019-2020 school year, there were 25,415 incidents of restraint and isolation across the state.
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3,825 students were subjected to these incidents, which means many of the same students were isolated or restrained repeatedly throughout the year.
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92% of K-12 students restrained and/or isolated that year have an intellectual or developmental disability.
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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.
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Interviews of students who have experienced restraint & isolation report lasting physical and emotional trauma because of the abuse of these classroom practices.
Additional Details
Ways to Get Involved
Steps to Get Started
- Learn where the bill is in the legislative process.
- If there is an upcoming hearing, decide how you would like to get your voice heard and take action.
- If there is not an upcoming hearing, or if you want to supplement your advocacy, call or write your legislators.
- Spread the word and get other people on board.
Participating in a Hearing
Sign in Pro, Con, or Other
This is when individuals, advocates, and organizations make their position on a particular bill known for the record. This is particularly powerful in large numbers. Many organizations will send out Action Alerts asking people to sign in Pro or Con on a bill.
Submit Written Testimony
Submitting written testimony is a great way not only to make your position known to legislators but also to explain why in more detail. This is a good option if you don’t want to speak in front of others. People also like to offer more nuance to their position by writing.
Testify Virtually
Since COVID, many legislators are allowing remote/virtual testimony for bill hearings, as it greatly expands access to the legislative process across the state. For this, individuals usually have between 1-2 minutes to state their opinion on a bill in front of the legislative committee on Zoom.