|
Call Your Representative in the House or Repesentatives: Tell him or her to Vote for H.R. 4247, The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act!!! This week, the House of Representatives will vote on the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act (HR 4247). Call Your Congressional Representative this week, preferably on Monday or Tuesday and ask him or her to vote "Yes" for the bill. Click on the Take Action button to get the phone number of your Congressional Representative. Get your friends and family to call also. Your call is very important - many school administrators and private school representatives are trying to stop this important bill which protects all children but particularly students with disabilities who cannot report their abuse!
The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act (HR 4247) is a bill that will stop schools from restraining children, confining them in seclusion rooms, and using aversive interventions to harm them. A Government Accountability Office study found hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and death from restraint and seclusion in public and private schools over the last two decades. HR 4247 will do the following: - Prohibit restraint and locked seclusion of schoolchildren unless there is an imminent risk of physical injury that less restrictive interventions would not stop. I
- Prohibit the use of these abusive techniques as punishment and behavior modification
Positive behavioral interventions are the appropriate ways to deal with disruptive behavior. HR 4247 is designed to encourage schools to use positive interventions and de-escalation, instead of abusive tactics. - Prohibits schools from using mechanical and chemical restraints or restraints the impede breathing.
- Requires schools to notify parents within 24 hours if their child is restrained or secluded
The bill bans aversives that hurt health and safety, such as using electric shock, forcing foul substances into the mouth, eyes, or nose of children, denying them food, water and access to the bathroom; and similar actions designed to cause severe pain and trauma. HR 4247 will protect all students, whether in private or public school. Many children with disabilities are placed in private schools by school districts and they should not lose vital health and safety protections. Other parents choose to send their children to private school for religious or other reasons; they should not be forced to give up protections from abuse. When you call, also please ask your Representative to vote against any amendment to exclude private schools from the bill or allow these abusive techniques to be put in Individual Education Programs (IEP). |
