H 7729School Safety

Education - Health and Safety of Pupils

This bill bans the use of designated seclusion rooms to isolate students in Rhode Island public schools.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 12, 2026Committee House Education

Plain-English Summary

This bill prohibits the use of designated "seclusion classrooms" or the practice of "unlawful seclusion" in Rhode Island public schools, including pre-k, elementary, and secondary levels. Unlawful seclusion is defined as isolating a student in a designated room where they are alone and not free to leave. The legislation distinguishes this from physical escorts, restraints, or standard time-outs. It mandates that the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education establish a process to investigate complaints regarding violations of this law and publish the necessary reporting forms online.

For younger readers

This new rule is for public schools. Sometimes, schools have used special rooms to put students in when they are having a hard time behaving, leaving the student all alone in a room they cannot leave. This bill says schools are not allowed to use those specific "seclusion rooms" anymore. It makes sure that adults at school, like teachers and security guards, treat students with respect and keep them safe. If a school breaks this rule, the leaders in charge of education for the state will investigate to see what happened.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Public school studentsSchool administratorsTeachersParentsSchool security guards

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Promotes the dignity and mental health of students by ending the traumatic practice of solitary confinement in schools, which disproportionately affects students with disabilities and students of color.
Encourages the use of positive behavioral interventions and de-escalation techniques rather than punitive isolation, aligning with restorative justice principles.
Establishes a clear oversight mechanism by requiring the Commissioner to investigate complaints, ensuring accountability for school staff who mistreat children.
Explicitly excludes "physical restraints" from the definition of unlawful seclusion, potentially allowing schools to continue using physical force against students which can also be traumatic and dangerous.
The exception for "time-outs" could potentially be exploited as a loophole if not strictly defined and monitored, allowing de facto seclusion to continue under a different name.
Does not appear to provide specific funding or resources for training teachers in the alternative positive behavioral interventions mentioned in the legislative findings.

For Conservatives

Protects children from potential abuse and overreach by government employees (school staff) by limiting their power to isolate students without supervision.
Increases transparency and empowers parents by establishing a formal complaint and investigation process for disciplinary misconduct.
Codifies that physical escorts and reasonable force are still permitted when necessary, preserving some authority for school staff to maintain order.
Represents a state-level mandate that interferes with local school district autonomy regarding disciplinary procedures and classroom management.
Removes a specific tool (seclusion rooms) that some educators may view as necessary for containing violent or disruptive behavior to protect other students and property.
Creates additional administrative bureaucracy by requiring the Department of Education to promulgate new regulations and conduct investigations.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 11 additions

SECTION 1. Legislative findings and purpose.

(1) Seclusions can occur in spaces used for "time out," "calming down," "de-escalation," "quiet," or "isolation," if the student is alone and not free to leave. Placing children in seclusion causes students to lose extensive instructional time even due to non-crisis behaviors or exhibiting an imminent danger to themselves or others. Additionally, while in seclusion, students would often engage in self-injurious behaviors such as banging their head against the door without staff intervention.

(2) It is the policy of the State of Rhode Island to promote safety and prevent harm to all students, staff, and visitors in the public schools and to treat all school students with dignity and respect in the delivery of discipline, seclusion, and use of reasonable force as permitted by law.

(3) To accomplish such policy. It is the intention of the legislature to provide school staff with clear guidelines about what constitutes use of reasonable force permissible in Rhode Island schools with the goal of improving student achievement, attendance, promotion and graduation rates by employing positive behavioral interventions to address student behavior in a positive and safe manner while promoting retention of valuable teachers and other school personnel by providing appropriate training in prescribed procedures, which address student behavior in a positive and safe manner.

SECTION 2. Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws entitled "Health and Safety of Pupils" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 16-21-44. Prohibition of seclusion classrooms.

(a) No student shall be subjected to unlawful seclusion by program personnel, a law enforcement officer, or a school security guard, while attending any public pre-k program, elementary or secondary school in the state. An unlawful seclusion does not include physical escort, a physical prompt to use adaptive devices or mechanical supports, physical restraints or time-outs and shall only apply to isolation in a designated seclusion room.

(b) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education (“commissioner”) shall address any complaints alleging a violation of this section to conduct an appropriate investigation. The commissioner shall promulgate the rules and regulations of such investigation and the department of education shall publish, on its website, all notice requirements, forms and instructions as to how to submit a complaint of any alleged violation.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.