HB1229 • 2026

Public schools; use of seclusion and restraint, report.

An Act to require the Department of Education to take certain actions relating to the use of seclusion and restraint in public schools; report.

Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Scott, P.A.
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about enforcement mechanisms or specific actions based on the report's findings.

Rules for Using Seclusion and Restraint in Schools

This law requires the Department of Education to provide local school boards with information about rules on seclusion and restraint, encourage compliance, and report on how these rules are being followed by October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

The Department of Education must give each local school board a link or copy of the regulations for using seclusion and restraint in schools and encourage full compliance with these regulations.
By October 1, 2026, the Department has to send a report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health about how well the rules are being followed by public schools.

Who It Names or Affects

Local school boards
The Department of Education

Terms To Know

seclusion and restraint: Methods used to control or limit a student's behavior in schools, such as putting them alone in a room or physically holding them back.
Department of Education: The state agency that oversees public education policies and regulations.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear how the Department will enforce compliance with these rules.
The report does not specify what actions will be taken based on its findings.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 756 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0756)
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1229)
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 House
Enrolled
2026-03-30 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1229ER)
2026-03-11 House
Senate substitute agreed to by House (96-Y 1-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
2026-03-10 Education and Health
Education and Health Substitute agreed to
2026-03-10 Senate
Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 Education and Health
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1229)
2026-03-09 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-06 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-03-06 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-06 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-06 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-05 Education and Health
Reported from Education and Health with substitute (14-Y 1-N)
2026-03-05 Public Education
Senate subcommittee offered
2026-03-05 Education and Health
Committee substitute printed 26109077D-S1
2026-02-26 Public Education
Assigned Education sub: Public Education
2026-02-23 Education
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1229)
2026-02-18 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-18 Education and Health
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
2026-02-17 House
Read third time and passed House (90-Y 7-N 0-A)
2026-02-16 House
Read second time
2026-02-16 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-02-16 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-02-13 House
Read first time
2026-02-11 Education
Reported from Education with substitute (20-Y 1-N)
2026-02-11 Education
Committee substitute printed 26107732D-H1
2026-02-10 K-12 Subcommittee
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)
2026-02-05 K-12 Subcommittee
Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee
2026-01-14 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101642D
2026-01-14 Education
Referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

Department of Education; use of seclusion and restraint in public schools; certain actions; report.
Requires the Department of Education to (i) provide to each local school board a link to or a copy of the Board of Education's Regulations Governing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Virginia and encourage each such board to fully comply with such regulations and (ii) submit to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than October 1, 2026, a report on the current implementation and utilization of such regulations that shall include (a) a detailed summary of the Department's current processes and procedures for enforcing such regulations and (b) a compilation and analysis of data relating to how such regulations are currently being implemented and utilized by public schools in each school division.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to require the Department of Education to take certain actions relating to the use of seclusion and restraint in public schools; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The Department of Education (the Department) shall (i) provide to each local school board a link to or a copy of the Board of Education's Regulations Governing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Virginia (8VAC20-750 of the Virginia Administrative Code) and encourage each such board to fully comply with such regulations and (ii) submit to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than October 1, 2026, a report on the current implementation and utilization of such regulations that shall include (a) a detailed summary of the Department's current processes and procedures for enforcing such regulations and (b) a compilation and analysis of data relating to how such regulations are currently being implemented and utilized by public schools in each school division.