Texas Education Code

§ 37.0021 — USE OF CONFINEMENT, RESTRAINT, SECLUSION, AND TIME-OUT

ED § 37.0021Title 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION · Part G. SAFE SCHOOLS · Ch. 37. DISCIPLINE; LAW AND ORDER · Art. A. ALTERNATIVE SETTINGS FOR BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

Statute text

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(a)It is the policy of this state to treat with dignity and respect all students, including students with disabilities who receive special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29. A student with a disability who receives special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, may not be confined in a locked box, locked closet, or other specially designed locked space as either a discipline management practice or a behavior management technique.

(b)In this section:

(1)"Restraint" means the use of physical force or a mechanical device to significantly restrict the free movement of all or a portion of a student's body.

(2)"Seclusion" means a behavior management technique in which a student is confined in a locked box, locked closet, or locked room that:

(A)is designed solely to seclude a person; and

(B)contains less than 50 square feet of space.

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Legislative history

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 691 (H.B. 359), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 691 (H.B. 359), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 225 (H.B. 785), Sec. 2, eff. June 4, 2021. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1042 (S.B. 133), Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2023. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1042 (S.B. 133), Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 2023. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1065 (H.B. 2), Sec. 7.06, eff. September 1, 2025.