AB 1466: Restraint and Seclusion Data
On October 8, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1466 into law to enhance transparency regarding student behavior management in schools. This law requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to make data on restraint and seclusion publicly accessible on their websites, in addition to reporting it to the California Department of Education (CDE).
What Does AB 1466 Change?
Existing law restricts the use of restraint and seclusion by school personnel and mandates that LEAs annually report data on these practices to the CDE. Under California Education Code § 49006, LEAs must submit a report within three months of the end of each school year, detailing:
- The number of students subjected to mechanical restraint
- The number of students subjected to physical restraint
- The number of students subjected to seclusion
- The number of times each type of restraint or seclusion was used
This data must be disaggregated by race/ethnicity and gender, with separate counts for students with Section 504 plans, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and those without such plans.
New Requirement Under AB 1466
AB 1466 amends Education Code § 49006(c) to require that LEAs not only report this data to the CDE but also post it annually on their websites. LEAs must continue to make this information available as a public record.
Accessing Restraint and Seclusion Data
Downloadable data files containing student restraint and seclusion statistics for LEAs and non-public/non-sectarian (NPS) schools are available, disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, and student group.
These files include data at the state, county, district, charter school, and NPS levels. For details on data structure and more information, please visit the Restraint and Seclusion Data web page.