72-6154. Parental notification; documentation of an incident; annual report. (a) (1) When a student is subjected to an emergency safety intervention, the school shall notify the parent on the same day the emergency safety intervention was used. If the school is unable to contact the parent, the school shall attempt to contact the parent using at least two methods of contact. The same-day notification requirement of this subsection shall be deemed satisfied if the school attempts at least two methods of contact. A parent may designate a preferred method of contact to receive the same-day notification required by this subsection. A parent may agree, in writing, to receive only one same-day notification from the school for multiple incidents occurring on the same day. Written documentation of the use of an emergency safety intervention shall be completed and provided to the parent no later than the school day following the day on which the emergency safety intervention was used. Such written documentation shall include: (A) The events leading up to the incident; (B) student behaviors that necessitated the emergency safety intervention; (C) steps taken to transition the student back into the educational setting; (D) the date and time the incident occurred, the type of emergency safety intervention used, the duration of the emergency safety intervention and the school personnel who used or supervised the emergency safety intervention; (E) space or an additional form for parents to provide feedback or comments to the school regarding the incident; (F) a statement that invites and strongly encourages parents to schedule a meeting to discuss the incident and how to prevent future use of emergency safety interventions; and (G) email and phone information for the parent to contact the school to schedule the emergency safety intervention meeting. Schools may group incidents together when documenting the items in subparagraphs (A), (B) and (C) if the triggering issue necessitating the emergency safety interventions is the same.

(2) The parent shall be provided the following information after the first incident in which an emergency safety intervention is used during the school year, and may be provided such information after each subsequent incident that occurs during the school year: (A) A copy of the standards of when emergency safety interventions can be used; (B) a flyer on the parent's rights; (C) information on the parent's right to file a complaint through the local dispute resolution process and the complaint process of the state board of education; and (D) information that will assist the parent in navigating the complaint process, including contact information for the parent training and information center and protection and advocacy system. Upon the first occurrence of an incident involving the use of emergency safety interventions, the parent shall be provided the foregoing information in printed form or, upon the parent's written request, by email. Upon the occurrence of a second or subsequent incident, the parent shall be provided with a full and direct website address containing such information.

(b)  If a school is aware that a law enforcement officer or school resource officer has used seclusion, physical restraint or mechanical restraint on a student, the school shall notify the parent the same day using the parent's preferred method of contact. A school shall not be required to provide written documentation to a parent, as set forth in subsection (a)(1) regarding law enforcement use of an emergency safety intervention, or report to the department law enforcement use of an emergency safety intervention. For purposes of this subsection, mechanical restraint includes, but is not limited to, the use of handcuffs.

(c)  The department shall compile reports from schools on the use of emergency safety interventions and provide the results based on aggregate data on the department website, and to the governor and the committees on education in the senate and the house of representatives by January 20, 2016, and annually thereafter. The data governance board of the department shall use the actual data value when providing statewide aggregate data for such reports. The department's reported results shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following information:

(1) The number of incidents in which emergency safety interventions were used on students who have an individualized education program;

(2) the number of incidents in which emergency safety interventions were used on students who have a section 504 plan;

(3) the number of incidents in which emergency safety interventions were used on students who do not have an individualized education program or a section 504 plan;

(4) the total number of incidents in which emergency safety interventions were used on students;

(5) the total number of students with behavior intervention plans subjected to an emergency safety intervention;

(6) the number of students physically restrained;

(7) the number of students placed in seclusion;

(8) the maximum and median number of minutes a student was placed in seclusion;

(9) the maximum number of incidents in which emergency safety interventions were used on a student;

(10) the information reported under subsection [subsections] (c)(1) through (c)(3) by the school to the extent possible;

(11) the information reported under subsections (c)(1) through (c)(9) aggregated by age, ethnicity, gender and eligibility for free and reduced lunch of the students on a statewide basis; and

(12) such other information as the department deems necessary to report.

History: L. 2015, ch. 72, § 4; L. 2016, ch. 77, § 3; July 1.