To authorize the Secretary of Education, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to establish an interagency advisory Commission on Advancing Restorative Justice in Elementary and Secondary Education, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Secretary of Education, working with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to create a 13-member advisory commission focused on restorative justice in elementary and secondary schools. The commission would develop definitions, training materials, and guidelines to help schools replace punitive discipline with restorative practices, and recommend appropriate school psychologist-to-student and counselor-to-student ratios.
Who Benefits and How
Students of color benefit most directly, as the bill specifically aims to reduce the disproportionate discipline they face due to racial and gender biases in school policies. Schools and educators benefit from new training materials on culturally competent approaches to student behavior. Students overall benefit from recommended improvements in access to mental health counselors and school psychologists.
Who Bears the Burden and How
School districts may face administrative burden from new tracking and reporting requirements for restorative practice participation. Schools and educators must adapt to new definitions and training guidelines. Federal agencies bear the cost of establishing and staffing the commission. Commission members serve without pay.
Key Provisions
- Creates a 13-member interagency advisory commission with representatives from Education, HHS, civil rights offices, and community organizations
- Requires the commission to develop official definitions of restorative justice and restorative practices
- Mandates development of culturally competent training materials for school personnel
- Requires recommendations for school psychologist-to-student and counselor-to-student ratios
- Commission submits annual reports for 5 years, then terminates 90 days after the final report
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes an interagency advisory commission to advance restorative justice practices in K-12 schools and address racial disparities in school discipline.
Key Policy Areas
Education, Civil Rights, Health
Primary Purpose
Establishes an interagency advisory commission to advance restorative justice practices in K-12 schools and address racial disparities in school discipline.
Policy Domains
Whole Bill
Identified Gains
- Students of color
- School communities
- Mental health professionals in schools
Identified Costs
- School districts (compliance and reporting)
- Federal agencies (staffing and administration)
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Schools receiving federal education funds, Students of color
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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