John Kline: “Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4247, the Keeping All Children Safe Act, and I urge my colleagues to…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4247, the Keeping All Children Safe Act, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well. When is it appropriate to lock up or tie up a child, or handcuff a child to a desk? Common sense tells us these extreme measures should not ever be used against children with autism or Down syndrome or other learning disabilities. Yet the truth is there are thousands of incidents reported involving the inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint. Reports by the National Disability Rights Network, GAO, and others reveal that our children are at risk for serious injury and even death in the school setting. The bill we are considering today outlines minimum standards that must be included in guidelines issued by the Department of Education. States then have the flexibility to determine how best to proceed. For the 10 States that already have comprehensive policies, all they need to do is show what they have already done. For the other States, the law will put in motion a review of current practices and a chance to put in place adequate guidelines. I would like to emphasize that these are guidelines. These are standards, like parents should be notified, that seclusion and restraints should only be used as a last resort, that training needs to be given to staff.”