Arizona House Bill HB2936

Arizona 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/17/25

Caption

Student discipline; complaints; investigation; training

Summary

HB 2936 amends Arizona’s restraint-and-seclusion statute for schools, which governs when schools may physically restrain a student or place a student in seclusion. The bill keeps the core rule that these techniques may be used only when a student’s behavior presents an imminent danger of bodily harm and less restrictive interventions are insufficient. It also preserves requirements for continuous monitoring, trained personnel, limits on the type of restraint used, parent notification, written documentation, and review of repeated incidents. The bill also clarifies and expands the complaint-and-enforcement process. Any person may file a written complaint with the Arizona Department of Education alleging a violation, and the department must investigate. If a violation is found, the department must require school administrators and involved personnel to complete department-approved training on proper restraint and seclusion practices. The bill further defines what counts as a violation, including improper use of restraint or seclusion, failure to follow reporting or policy requirements, and misuse of law-enforcement responses in place of restraint or seclusion.

Impact

HB 2936 would amend A.R.S. § 15-105, the state statute governing restraint and seclusion in schools, by formalizing complaint procedures and adding a mandatory training remedy for violations. It applies to school districts, charter schools, special education schools serving publicly placed students, the Arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind, and private schools. The bill would also require schools to follow the same reporting, documentation, and review procedures when law enforcement is summoned instead of restraint or seclusion, while preserving school resource officers’ authority to respond to imminent danger situations.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the overall sentiment appears neutral and policy-focused rather than partisan. The measure is framed as a student-safety and accountability bill, emphasizing training, documentation, and oversight rather than expanding the use of restraint or seclusion. No formal opposition or support is reflected in the provided record, so there is no documented vote-based sentiment to assess.

Contention

The main policy tension in HB 2936 is between school safety authority and safeguards against misuse of restraint, seclusion, or police intervention. Supporters would likely view the complaint process and mandatory training as accountability measures that protect students from inappropriate physical interventions. Potential concerns could come from schools or administrators worried about added compliance burdens, increased exposure to complaints, or ambiguity in determining when an emergency justifies restraint, seclusion, or law-enforcement involvement. Another possible point of contention is the bill’s inclusion of private schools and special education settings within the statute’s scope.