(1) Behavioral interventions for children must promote the right of all children to be treated with dignity. All children have the right to be free from any corporal punishment.

(2) Safe, effective, evidence-based strategies are available to support children who display challenging behaviors in school settings.

(3) School personnel have the right to work in a safe environment and should be provided training and support to prevent injury and trauma to themselves and others.

(4) According to the Department of Education’s Technical Assistance Center on School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support, outcomes associated with school-wide positive behavior support are decreased office discipline referrals, increased instructional time, decreased administrator time spent on discipline issues, efficient and effective use of scarce resources, and increased perception of school safety and sustainability through a team approach.

(5) Nineteen States continue to permit corporal punishment in public schools.

(6) According to Department of Education statistics, each year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of school children are subjected to corporal punishment in public schools. School corporal punishment is usually executed in the form of ‘paddling’, or striking students with a wooden paddle on their buttocks or legs, which can result in abrasions, bruising, severe muscle injury, hematomas, whiplash damage, life-threatening hemorrhages, and other medical complications that may require hospitalization.

(7) Gross racial disparity exists in the execution of corporal punishment of public school children, and African-American schoolchildren are disproportionately corporally punished. The most recent available statistics show that African-American students make up 17.1 percent of the national student population, but 35.6 percent of all students subjected to physical punishment at school.

(8) Public school children with disabilities are subjected to corporal punishment at disproportionately high rates, approximately twice the rate of the general student population in some States.

(9) Corporal punishment is used in many instances for minor disciplinary infractions, such as being tardy or violating the dress code.

(10) Corporal punishment has resulted in physical injury and psychological trauma to children in public and private schools. Social skills development after the use of corporal punishment may be severely altered, leading to aggressive behaviors. National research shows students have been subjected to corporal punishment in schools as a means of discipline, to force compliance, or as a substitute for appropriate educational support.

(11) Children are protected from corporal punishment in other settings, such as hospitals, health facilities, Head Start programs, and nonmedical community-based facilities. Similar protections are needed in schools.

(12) Prisoners in Federal prison are protected from corporal punishment.

(1) eliminate the use of corporal punishment in schools;

(2) ensure the safety of all students and school personnel in schools and promote a positive school culture and climate;

(3) assist States, local educational agencies, and schools in identifying and implementing effective evidence-based models to prevent and reduce--

‘(1) as a form of punishment; or

‘(2) for the purpose of modifying undesirable behavior.

‘(1) IN GENERAL- In the case of an applicable program under which a local educational agency may only receive funds through a State educational agency that is prohibited under subsection (a) from receiving funds under any applicable program, a local educational agency that is not prohibited under subsection (a) from receiving such funds may apply directly to the Secretary to receive funds under the program.

‘(2) CERTIFICATION- Each local educational agency applying directly to the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall certify in such application that the agency is not prohibited under subsection (a) from receiving funds under any applicable program.

‘(1) the student’s behavior poses an imminent danger of physical injury to the student, school personnel, or others;

‘(2) less restrictive interventions would be ineffective in stopping such imminent danger of physical injury; and

‘(3) the reasonable restraint ends immediately upon the cessation of the conditions described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

‘(1) the term ‘corporal punishment’ has the meaning given such term in section 12 of the Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act of 2011;

‘(2) the term ‘educational agency or institution’ means any public or private agency or institution which is the recipient, or serves students who are recipients of, funds under any applicable program;

‘(3) the terms ‘local educational agency’ and ‘State educational agency’ have the meanings given such terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965;

‘(4) the term ‘school personnel’ has the meaning given such term in section 12 of the Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act of 2011; and

‘(5) the term ‘student’ includes any person who is in attendance at an educational agency or institution.’.

(1) assurances to the Secretary that the State has in effect policies and procedures that eliminate the use of corporal punishment in schools;

(2) a description of the State’s policies and procedures; and

(3) a description of the State plans to ensure school personnel and parents, including private school personnel and parents, are aware of the State’s policies and procedures.

(1) IN GENERAL-

(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION- Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the Secretary’s authority under the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.).

(1) the student’s behavior poses an imminent danger of physical injury to the student, school personnel, or others;

(2) less restrictive interventions would be ineffective in stopping such imminent danger of physical injury; and

(3) the reasonable restraint ends immediately upon the cessation of the conditions described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

(1) will develop State training programs on school wide-positive behavior support approaches, such as training programs developed with the assistance of the Secretary (acting through the Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports of the Department of Education); and

(2) will target resources to schools and local educational agencies in need of assistance related to improving school culture and climate through positive behavior supports.

(1) IN GENERAL- A State educational agency receiving a grant under this section may use such grant funds to award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies.

(2) APPLICATION- A local educational agency desiring to receive a subgrant under this section shall submit an application to the applicable State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may require.

(1) IN GENERAL- A local educational agency receiving subgrant funds under this section shall, after timely and meaningful consultation with appropriate private school officials, ensure that private school personnel can participate, on an equitable basis, in activities supported by funds under this section.

(2) PUBLIC CONTROL OF FUNDS- The control of funds provided under this section, and title to materials, equipment, and property purchased with such funds, shall be in a public agency, and a public agency shall administer such funds, materials, equipment, and property.

(1) Developing and implementing high-quality professional development and training programs, such as training programs developed with the assistance of the Secretary (acting through the Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports of the Department of Education), to implement evidence-based systematic approaches to school-wide positive behavior supports, including improving coaching, facilitation, and training capacity for principals and other administrators, teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff.

(2) Providing technical assistance to develop and implement evidence-based systematic approaches to school-wide positive behavior supports, including technical assistance for data-driven decisionmaking related to behavioral supports and interventions in the classroom and throughout common areas.

(3) Researching, evaluating, and disseminating high-quality evidence-based programs and activities that implement school-wide positive behavior supports with fidelity.

(4) Supporting other local positive behavior support implementation activities consistent with this subsection, including outreach to families and community agencies and providers, such as mental health authorities.

(1) evaluates the State’s progress toward developing and implementing evidence-based systematic approaches to school-wide positive behavior supports; and

(2) includes such information as the Secretary may require.

(1) determine compliance with the requirements of this Act; and

(2) identify best practices with respect to professional development and training programs carried out under section 6, which shall include identifying evidence-based school personnel training models with demonstrated success (including models that emphasize positive behavior supports and de-escalation techniques over physical intervention).

(1) an interim report that summarizes the preliminary findings of the assessment described in subsection (a) not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act; and

(2) a final report of the findings of the assessment not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(1) PRIVATE SCHOOLS- Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect any private school that does not receive, or does not serve students who receive, support in any form from any program supported, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated to the Department of Education.

(2) HOME SCHOOLS- Nothing in this Act shall be construed to--

(1) CORPORAL PUNISHMENT- The term ‘corporal punishment’ means paddling, spanking, or other forms of physical punishment, however light, imposed upon a student.

(2) EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY- The term ‘educational service agency’ has the meaning given such term in section 9101(17) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(17)).

(3) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL- The term ‘elementary school’ has the meaning given the term in section 9101(18) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(18)).

(4) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- The term ‘local educational agency’ has the meaning given the term in section 9101(26) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(26)).

(5) PARENT- The term ‘parent’ has the meaning given the term in section 9101(31) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(31)).

(6) POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS- The term ‘positive behavior supports’ means a systematic approach to embed evidence-based practices and data-driven decisionmaking to improve school climate and culture, including a range of systemic and individualized strategies to reinforce desired behaviors and diminish reoccurrence of problem behaviors, in order to achieve improved academic and social outcomes and increase learning for all students, including those with the most complex and intensive behavioral needs.

(7) PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEM- The term ‘protection and advocacy system’ means a protection and advocacy system established under section 143 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15043).

(8) SCHOOL- The term ‘school’ means an entity--

(9) SCHOOL PERSONNEL- The term ‘school personnel’ has the meaning--

(10) SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL- The term ‘specialized instructional support personnel’ means school counselors, school social workers, school nurses, school psychologists, and other qualified professional personnel involved in providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, health, therapeutic, and other necessary corrective or supportive services.

(11) SECONDARY SCHOOL- The term ‘secondary school’ has the meaning given the term in section 9101(38) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(38)).

(12) SECRETARY- The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Education.

(13) STATE- The term ‘State’ has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

(14) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- The term ‘State educational agency’ has the meaning given the term in section 9101(41) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(41)).

(15) STUDENT- The term ‘student’ means a student enrolled in a school defined in paragraph (8).