Current with changes from the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 7-1103 - What constitutes seclusion(a) In this section, each incident during a behavioral health intervention in which a student is enclosed in a room, enclosure, or other space and prevented from leaving, shall be counted as a separate incident of seclusion regardless of the duration of the incident.(b)(1) If a student enrolled in a public school is physically restrained 10 times or more in a school year, the public school shall provide notice to the Department and the local school system at the earliest opportunity, but not longer than 4 business days after the student's 10th incident of physical restraint.(2) If a student placed in a nonpublic school by the local school system is physically restrained or placed in seclusion 10 times or more in a school year, the nonpublic school shall provide notice to the Department and the local school system at the earliest opportunity, but not longer than 4 business days after the student's 10th incident of physical restraint or seclusion.(c) On receipt of notice from a public school or nonpublic school under subsection (b) of this section, the local school system shall:(1) Review the student's case, including the circumstances of each incident of physical restraint or seclusion;(2) Assess the public school's or nonpublic school's pattern of behavioral health interventions to evaluate whether the public school or nonpublic school could use less restrictive behavioral health interventions; and(3) Share the local school system's recommendations with the Department and the public school or nonpublic school.(d) If a student enrolled in a public agency that is not a public school is physically restrained 10 times or more in a school year, the public agency shall provide notice to the Department at the earliest opportunity, but not longer than 4 business days after the student's 10th incident of physical restraint.(e) On receipt of notice from a public agency under subsection (d) of this section, the Department shall:(1) Review the student's case, including the circumstances of each incident of physical restraint;(2) Assess the public agency's pattern of behavioral health interventions to evaluate whether the public agency could use less restrictive behavioral health interventions; and(3) Share the Department's recommendations with the public agency.Added by 2022 Md. Laws, Ch. 562, Sec. 2, eff. 7/1/2022.Added by 2022 Md. Laws, Ch. 31, Sec. 2, eff. 7/1/2022.