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Senate Bill S10560

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Limits the use of timeout boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures in schools in the state

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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2025-S10560 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §116, Ed L

2025-S10560 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the use of timeout boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures for children in schools in the state except for authorized uses prescribed by the commissioner.

2025-S10560 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10560
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 21, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  STEC  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to limiting  the  use  of
   timeout  boxes,  closets  or  other  secluded  physical  enclosures in
   schools in the state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 116 to
 read as follows:
   § 116. PROHIBITIONS ON TIMEOUT BOXES IN SCHOOLS. 1. THE USE OF TIMEOUT
 BOXES,  CLOSETS  OR OTHER SECLUDED PHYSICAL ENCLOSURES FOR THE ISOLATION
 OF CHILDREN ARE PROHIBITED IN SCHOOLS  IN  THE  STATE,  EXCEPT  FOR  THE
 AUTHORIZED  LIMITED  USE OF TIMEOUT AND PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AS PRESCRIBED
 IN THE COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS.
   2. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) "TIMEOUT BOX" SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO,  A  WOODEN  OR
 PADDED ROOM OR STRUCTURE WHERE A CHILD IS ISOLATED.
   (B)  "SCHOOL"  MEANS  A  PUBLIC  SCHOOL DISTRICT, BOARD OF COOPERATIVE
 EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, CHARTER SCHOOL, STATE-OPERATED AND STATE-SUPPORTED
 SCHOOL PURSUANT TO ARTICLES EIGHTY-FIVE, EIGHTY-SEVEN  AND  EIGHTY-EIGHT
 OF  THIS  CHAPTER, IN-STATE AND OUT-OF-STATE PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL OR NON-
 RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL FOR  THE  EDUCATION  OF  STUDENTS  WITH  DISABILITIES
 APPROVED  PURSUANT  TO  ARTICLE EIGHTY-NINE OF THIS CHAPTER OR OPERATING
 UNDER ARTICLE EIGHTY-ONE OF THIS CHAPTER, STATE-ADMINISTERED  PREKINDER-
 GARTEN  PROGRAM DIRECTLY OPERATED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT, BOARD OF COOPER-
 ATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, OR AN ELIGIBLE AGENCY, AS DEFINED IN 8 NYCRR
 151-1.2 (B), OR OPERATED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN COLLABORATION  WITH  AN
 ELIGIBLE  AGENCY,  PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM APPROVED PURSUANT
 TO SECTION FOUR THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED TEN OF THIS  CHAPTER,  AND  REGIS-
 TERED  NONPUBLIC  NURSERY  SCHOOL,  KINDERGARTEN, AND HIGH SCHOOL, AND A
 NONPUBLIC SCHOOL SERVING GRADES ONE THROUGH EIGHT THAT HAS A  REGISTERED
 HIGH SCHOOL, IN THIS STATE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15984-01-6

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