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Committee hears bill to pilot trauma‑informed approaches to reduce school restraint and seclusion
Summary
A proposal to create a voluntary Safe Schools pilot to test trauma‑informed, evidence‑based alternatives to restraint and seclusion drew support from the Office of the Child Advocate and national advocates, who urged proactive training and data collection.
Representative Peter Petrino introduced House Bill 653 as the outcome of an interim study on use of restraint and seclusion in schools. He said parents had testified about injuries and alleged abuse, and the interim work identified alternative, trauma‑informed approaches to reduce the need for restraint and seclusion.
Lisa Maschio, associate child advocate for the state Office of the Child Advocate, said her office reviewed more than 1,500 restraint and seclusion reports in fiscal year 2024 and cited a recent case in which a 5‑year‑old kindergarten student was restrained 22 times in a single day. She said current statute covers restraints and seclusions only for children in state care, and that centralized review of school incidents remains a concern.
Ben Jones, director of policy and legal initiatives at Lives in the Balance, said national data show 80–90 percent of restraints and seclusions involve children with disabilities and urged a proactive focus on training and best practices rather than purely reactive restrictions. Jones described the bill’s purpose as exploratory: "address kids' needs upfront, solve problems well before we get into a situation of needing to deescalate, restrain, seclude."
Committee members asked about standards for evidence‑based programs referenced in the bill. Jones and Maschio said the bill names third‑party clearinghouses (for example, the California Evidence Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare) to identify bona fide evidence‑based practices. The bill would create a voluntary pilot within the Department of Education to allow participating schools to test approved trauma‑informed practices; department and vendor responsibilities would be defined in the bill.
No committee vote was recorded in the transcript; the hearing ended after public testimony and committee Q&A.
Supporters urged that the pilot produce data and practical guidance for schools and teachers and recommended a centralized reporting process to improve understanding of restraint and seclusion uses.
