New York Assembly Bill A09614

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/26
• Refer: 1/21/26

Caption

Prohibits the use of timeout boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures for children in schools in the state; except for authorized limited use of timeout and physical restraint as prescribed in regulations.

Summary

This bill amends the New York Education Law to prohibit the use of “timeout boxes,” closets, or other secluded physical enclosures to isolate children in schools. The prohibition applies broadly across many types of educational settings, including public school districts, BOCES, charter schools, state-operated and state-supported schools, approved private schools for students with disabilities, preschool special education programs, and certain registered nonpublic schools and nursery schools. The bill defines a “timeout box” broadly to include temporary or permanent wooden, metal, or padded enclosures or structures used to isolate a child. It preserves only the limited use of timeout and physical restraint that is already authorized under the Commissioner’s regulations. The act would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill would add a new section 116 to the Education Law, creating a statewide statutory ban on isolating children in enclosed spaces at schools, while leaving existing regulatory authority over approved timeout and restraint practices intact. It would affect public and private schools, special education programs, and prekindergarten settings covered by the definition of “school,” and would require those institutions to ensure their discipline and behavior-management practices comply with the new prohibition.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a child-safety and student-protection bill with a clear protective purpose. The sponsor’s approach suggests concern about harmful or abusive isolation practices in schools, and the bill’s narrow exception for regulated timeout and restraint indicates an effort to preserve existing behavioral intervention tools while banning more extreme confinement methods.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the scope of the ban and how broadly “timeout box” and “other secluded physical enclosures” are defined, since schools that use enclosed spaces for behavior management could be required to change practices or facilities. Another likely issue is the relationship between the statutory prohibition and the Commissioner’s regulations, especially for special education settings where restraint and timeout procedures are already regulated. No specific objections, amendments, or recorded opposition are included in the provided history.