OAR 581-021-0553: Use of Restraint and Seclusion in Public Education Programs

(1)(a) The use of the following types of restraint on a student in a public education program is prohibited: (A) Chemical restraint; (B) Mechanical restraint; (C) Prone restraint; (D) Supine restraint; (E)(i) Any restraint that involves the intentional and nonincidental use of a solid object, including a wall or the floor, to impede a student’s movement, unless the restraint is necessary to prevent an imminent life-threatening injury or to gain control of a weapon; (ii) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(E)(i) of this subsection, the use of a solid object, including a piece of furniture, a wall, or the floor, by public education program personnel performing a restraint is not prohibited if the object is used for the personnel’s own stability or support while performing the restraint and not as a mechanism to apply pressure directly to the student’s body; (F)(i) Any restraint that places, or creates a risk of placing, pressure on a student’s mouth, neck or throat, or that impedes, or creates a risk of impeding, a student’s breathing; (ii) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(F)(i) of this subsection, a restraint that places, or creates a risk of placing, pressure on a student’s mouth may be used if the restraint is necessary for the purpose of extracting a body part from a bite; (G) Any restraint that involves the intentional placement of the hands, feet, elbow, knee or any object on a student’s neck, throat, genitals or other intimate parts; and (H) Any restraint that causes pressure to be placed, or creates a risk of causing pressure to be placed, on a student’s stomach or back by a knee, foot or elbow bone. (b) The use of any action designed for the primary purpose of inflicting pain upon a student in a public education program is prohibited. (2) Restraint or seclusion may not be used for discipline, punishment, retaliation or convenience of personnel, contractors or volunteers of a public education program. (3)(a) Restraint may be used on a student in a public education program only under the following circumstances: (A) The student’s behavior imposes a reasonable risk of imminent and substantial physical or bodily injury to the student or others; and (B) Less restrictive interventions would not be effective. (b) Seclusion may be used on a student in a public education program only under the following circumstances: (A) The student’s behavior imposes a reasonable risk of imminent and serious bodily injury to the student or others; and (B) Less restrictive interventions would not be effective. (4) If restraint or seclusion is used on a student, the restraint or seclusion must be: (a) Used only for as long as the student's behavior poses a reasonable risk as described in subsection (3) of this rule; (b) Imposed by personnel of the public education program who are: (A) Trained to use restraint or seclusion through programs approved by the Department of Education under OAR 581-021-0563; or (B) Otherwise available in the case of an emergency circumstance when trained personnel are not immediately available due to the unforeseeable nature of the emergency circumstance; and (c) Continuously monitored by personnel of the public education program for the duration of the restraint or seclusion. (5) If restraint or seclusion continues for more than 30 minutes: (a) The student must be provided with adequate access to the bathroom and water every 30 minutes; (b) Personnel of the public education program must immediately attempt to verbally or electronically notify a parent or guardian of the student; and (c) Every 15 minutes after the first 30 minutes of the restraint or seclusion, an administrator for the public education program must provide written authorization for the continuation of the restraint or seclusion, including providing documentation for the reason the restraint or seclusion must be continued.