Action Alert #10: Louisiana House to Vote on Seclusion & Restraint and FY26 Budget

Two big issues will be heard on the House Floor this week:

1. Seclusion & Restraint
2. Louisiana’s budget for Fiscal Year 26 (FY26)
   Act now by sharing your story and ideas with your State Representative!

Issue 1 – Seclusion and Restraint

Representative Shane Mack’s bill, HB237, got strong support and passed the House Education Committee last week. It was passed by substitute which means there were a lot of changes, or amendments, to the original bill, so a new bill was written. This bill is now called HB684.
HB684 makes a lot of changes to Louisiana’s seclusion and restraint law:

• Makes schools install cameras in certain special education classrooms without waiting for a parent to ask.
• Removes the ban to seclusion as originally written in HB237. It does better define “seclusion” and “physical restraint”, along with clearer rules about when they can be used.
• Trains teachers in crisis management and behavior strategies as part of their certification.
• States only trained staff can use physical restraint (unless in emergencies and until trained staff can respond).
• Requires parents be told about their right to opt out of seclusion and restraint for their child during individualized education plan (IEP) meetings.
• Requires video footage (if available) be reviewed after seclusion and restraint incidents to ensure policies were followed.
• Ensures parents are told the same day their child was secluded or restrained with a follow up in writing the next school day.
• Requires IEP teams to review and update a student’s behavior plan if seclusion or restraint happens more than twice a year (down from 5).
• States a student being held for more than 3 minutes now counts as a physical restraint (used to be 5 minutes).
• Ensures schools make their policies public every year and give them to parents.

HB684 is going to the House Floor to be voted on this Wednesday, May 14th.

Issue 2 – Louisiana’s FY26 Budget

Two budget or funding bills by Representative Jack McFarland made it out of House Appropriations Committee on Monday, May 12th:

• HB1 – the state’s main budget bill
• HB460 – the state’s supplemental budget bill

Both bills were passed with amendments. Members on the committee told advocates services were protected and not cut in HB1. This is great news!

While the Council and LaCAN were advocating for $500,000 for Families Helping Families (FHF), only $250,000 was added to the supplemental bill (HB460). We are still thankful to the committee for seeing the importance of FHF Centers and adding back in the budget some of the funding that was removed. However, $250,000 in additional funding is needed to fully fund the FHF Centers.

Now both budgets are going to the House Floor for a vote on Thursday, May 15th. More information about each funding issue can be found in the fact sheets below:

• Recurring Funding for Families Helping Families Regional Resource Centers
• Protect Disability Services

How to Take Action
Tell the Senate Education Committee about your own experiences with seclusion and restraint. Share with them your thoughts about the changes to the seclusion and restraint law and any ideas you may have on how to make schools and classrooms safer for students with disabilities.

Email or call the Chair and members of the Senate Education Committee before the committee meets Thursday, May 29th

• Find the Chair and your member(s) of the Senate Education Committee at the end of this alert.
• With your comments, please include your name, address, phone number, email address, and bill number (HB684).
• Don’t forget to thank the Chair and members for thinking about the needs of students with disabilities.

Email [email protected] your public comments before the committee meets Thursday, May 29th

• With your comments, please include your name, address, phone number, email address, and bill number (HB684).
• Don’t forget to thank the Chair and members for thinking about the needs of students with disabilities.

Share Your Testimony & Attend Yellow Shirt Day

• Wednesday, May 28th at 1:00 PM
• Louisiana State Capitol – John J. Hainkel, Jr. Room
• Be sure to arrive early so you can get a seat in the committee room

Contact your LaCAN Leader if you need help with this alert or would like more information about Public Testimony and Yellow Day.
Can’t make it for Yellow Shirt Day? You can watch the committee meeting(s) live from the legislature’s website. When the meeting is in progress, click the TV icon.

Confirm Your Action

• Email your LaCAN Leader after you take action
• Why confirm your action? This helps the Council know how effective we are reaching you with important information and engaging members across our state in advocacy for systems change.

Tips & Tools for Advocacy
Looking for tips and tools to help you in your advocacy? Check out the Council’s Advocacy 101 page.
You can also find tips for:

• Writing/emailing your legislators
• Calling your legislators
• Writing your story