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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1097H.P. 719House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
An Act to Provide De-escalation and Behavior Intervention Training
for School Personnel
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 14, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MURPHY of Scarborough.
Cosponsored by Senator RAFFERTY of York and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, CRAFTS of Newcastle, DODGE of Belfast, KUHN
of Falmouth, MOONEN of Portland, Senator: PIERCE of Cumberland. Page 1 - 132LR1266(01)
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2 is enacted to read:
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5 school year and every 3rd school year thereafter, a school administrative unit shall provide
6 at least 4 hours of training in the following topics to each of its administrators, teachers and
7 education technicians:
8 A. Positive behavior interventions;
9 B. Communicative intent of behaviors;
10 C. Alternatives to restrictive procedures, including techniques to identify events and
11 environmental factors that may escalate behavior;
12 D. De-escalation methods;
13 E. Standards for using restraint and seclusion procedures;
14 F. Obtaining emergency medical assistance;
15 G. The physiological and psychological effect of restraint and seclusion;
16 H. Monitoring and responding to a child's physical signs of distress;
17 I. The school administrative unit's policies and procedures for timely reporting and
18 documenting of each incident involving the dangerous behavior of a student and the
19 law governing dangerous behavior prevention and intervention under section 6555; and
20 J. Positive behavior strategies.
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22 and a list of experts who can help school administrative units provide training pursuant to
23 this section.
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25 shall offer training pursuant to this section to all new school administrators, teachers and
26 education technicians within 60 days of hiring.
27 The
28 Department of Education shall convene teachers and other educators and experts in the
29 subject matter of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6558 to develop best
30 practices for trainings given pursuant to section 6558 and distribute the best practices to all
31 school administrative units in the State no later than September 1, 2026.
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33 This bill directs a school administrative unit to provide, beginning in the 2026-2027
34 school year and every 3rd year thereafter, at least 4 hours of training to each of its school
35 administrators, teachers and education technicians in topics related to de-escalation and
36 behavior intervention. It directs the Department of Education to maintain a list of trainings
37 and a list of experts who can help school administrative units provide training. It requires
38 school administrative units to offer, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, training to all
39 new school administrators, teachers and education technicians within 60 days of hiring. It
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39 Page 2 - 132LR1266(01)
40 requires the department to convene teachers and other educators and experts to develop
41 best practices for trainings and distribute the best practices to all school administrative units
42 in the State no later than September 1, 2026.
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