Preventing Harmful Restraint And Seclusion In Schools Act

Floor Speech

Preventing Harmful Restraint And Seclusion In Schools Act

* Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the Keeping All Students Safe Act, a commonsense measure to provide guidance for teachers and schools on the use of seclusion and restraints.

* Last year, the Government Accountability Office found hundreds of cases of alleged abuse of seclusion and restraints, including cases that resulted in death. And while federal law provides minimum safety standards for the use of these interventions in hospitals and other facilities supported by federal dollars, there are no federal rules for public or private schools.

* Today's bill sets basic standards and gives states 2 years to implement their own policies, procedures, monitoring, and enforcement systems to meet them. It provides grants to help train school staff and implement positive behavior support programs. And it increases transparency and oversight by requiring states, for the first time, to collect and report data annually to the Secretary of Education.

* With these measures, we can ensure the safe learning environment that all our students deserve. I encourage my colleagues to join me and support this bill.

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