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Bill would tighten oversight, ban specified restraints for students placed in out‑of‑state nonpublic schools
Summary
Sen. Shannon Grove’s SB 373 would require standardized oversight of California students placed in out‑of‑state nonpublic schools, set required in‑person student interviews and quarterly contacts, and ban prone, supine and mechanical restraints.
Sen. Shannon Grove presented SB 373, titled as changes to oversight and student protections for children placed in nonpublic schools, particularly out‑of‑state placements used for students with individualized education programs (IEPs). Grove said recent work and state reports revealed “serious gaps” in how local education agencies (LEAs) and the California Department of Education (CDE) monitor nonpublic schools (NPS), and she accepted committee amendments to strengthen the measure.
Survivor Avital Van Lewin described being transported to an out‑of‑state program and said she experienced isolation, forced medication and threats of physical restraints. “I was completely cut off from the outside world, force fed medication, psychologically abused, and threatened with cruel punishments,” Van Lewin told the committee. Caroline Cole, representing an organization associated with Paris Hilton, described California as a major exporter of students to high‑risk facilities and cited the CDE‑commissioned WestEd study showing more than 300 California students with IEPs in out‑of‑state placements.
SB 373 would require LEAs that place California students in out‑of‑state NPSs to conduct annual on‑site visits that include an in‑person interview with the student aligned to the student’s IEP, screening for signs of abuse or mistreatment, review of behavioral emergency reports, quarterly phone calls between the LEA and the student, and standardized CDE on‑site reporting. The bill would also ban prone, supine and mechanical restraints in those programs, require annual staff training on trauma‑informed behavioral interventions, and clarify parent complaint and student rights processes.
Supporters included survivors, advocacy organizations (including Paris Hilton’s organization representation), county offices of education, American Academy of Pediatrics (California chapter), Anti‑Recidivism Coalition and several school boards. No witnesses identified formal opposition at the hearing. Committee members expressed strong support for increased oversight; SB 373 was voted out of committee and referred to Appropriations.
Committee members emphasized the bill’s focus on protecting vulnerable students and noted the CDE/WestEd findings as motivating evidence guiding the proposed statutory changes.
