AN ACT relating to K-12 public school discipline; requiring school district board of trustees to adopt rules or policies; establishing requirements for student discipline; requiring notice to parents and guardians; requiring reporting; making conforming amendments; repealing immunity for the use of corporal discipline; and providing for an effective date.
HB0065 would substantially revise Wyoming law governing K-12 student discipline and school safety. It requires each school district board of trustees to adopt rules or policies giving school employees authority to enforce classroom management and behavior rules, including rules on electronic devices, to discuss student behavior with parents or guardians, and to impose consequences for misconduct. The bill also authorizes removal of disruptive students from the area of disruption, use of reasonable force to do so when necessary for safety, referral for behavioral modification, and a range of disciplinary consequences including alternative classroom placement, in-school suspension, exclusion from activities, suspension, and expulsion.
The bill also adds procedural requirements and protections. School principals or superintendents would have to consult with the employee who removed a student before final discipline is imposed, notify that employee if the final consequence differs from the recommendation, and inform the employee of actions taken. Teachers acting consistently with the statute and district/state rules would be shielded from professional discipline, reprimand, or adverse employment action. The bill requires written notice to parents or guardians, ongoing district-funded professional development for staff, reporting of suspected violent crime on school property, and annual de-identified reporting of major disciplinary actions from schools to districts, then to the Department of Education and the Joint Education Interim Committee. It also repeals existing immunity related to corporal discipline and requires districts to adopt conforming policies by August 1, 2026.
HB0065 would amend W.S. 21-4-308 and related school-discipline provisions to expand and standardize district-level authority over student behavior while adding reporting, notice, and staff-protection requirements. It would affect school district boards of trustees, administrators, teachers, students, and parents/guardians by mandating local discipline policies, requiring parent involvement, and creating a structured reporting chain for major disciplinary actions. The bill also repeals subsection (b) of the current statute, which would eliminate existing immunity for corporal discipline, and it would require districts to update policies by a specified deadline.
The bill appears to have been framed as a school discipline and classroom-safety measure, with an emphasis on restoring teacher authority, improving order, and protecting staff and students. However, its floor outcome suggests it did not command enough support to advance, failing introduction by a 38-24 vote. With no committee transcripts available, the available record shows a generally divided legislative reaction rather than a clear consensus.
The most likely points of contention are the bill’s expansion of disciplinary authority, the use of reasonable force to remove students, and the repeal of immunity related to corporal discipline. Supporters would likely view these provisions as necessary to address disruptive behavior, protect classroom learning, and back up teachers and administrators. Opponents may have concerns about student rights, due process, potential overuse of force, liability, and whether the bill could increase exclusionary discipline or conflict with existing seclusion and restraint rules. The requirement that a removed student cannot return to class without the classroom teacher’s written consent may also be controversial as it gives teachers significant control over placement decisions.