Schools and programs getting federal aid would bar corporal punishment

Staff, law enforcement officers, and school security guards would be barred from using corporal punishment in programs receiving federal aid. The ban would cover students enrolled in federally assisted programs, including school districts, certain Head Start programs, and some private schools. Corporal punishment means deliberately causing a student physical pain for discipline. It includes striking, painful positions, and chemical sprays. A student or parent could sue the program for damages, lawyer and expert fees, or a court order. The bill would still allow officers to carry out lawful duties under other laws.

The program serving a student would send written notices after an incident of corporal punishment. The duty would apply when staff, a law enforcement officer, or a school security guard subjects a student to corporal punishment at a program covered by the bill. The program would tell the student's parents, the state education agency, and local law enforcement. If the student has a disability, it would also tell the relevant disability rights agency and give that agency information it requests. Each required written notice would be due no later than 24 hours after the use of force.

State education agencies receiving federal aid would send assurances and reports on school discipline to the Education Secretary. Local school agencies would give their state agencies the information needed for these reports. States with earlier corporal punishment bans would confirm they told programs about the bill's requirements. Other states would also confirm staff training and parent notices. If a state agency fails to comply, the Secretary must take at least one of three steps: withhold payments, enter a compliance agreement, or file a complaint seeking an order to comply. First submissions would be due within one year of enactment, then yearly for three more years and at least every two years after that.

If Congress sets aside money, the Education Secretary could give states grants to train school staff and reduce discipline that removes students from class. States could award competitive grants to local school agencies. Funded work would take place in public elementary and secondary schools. The bill allows Congress to fund the grants starting in fiscal year 2027 but sets aside no specific amount. The Secretary would favor states with high discipline rates, limited behavior supports, or the greatest need. Grant recipients would focus on certain public schools, including those where discipline falls unevenly on students of color or students with disabilities and those with meaningful community input. Each grant would last three years. A state seeking another grant would need to show effective use of earlier funds and a drop in at least one listed discipline or policing measure.