HR2738-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ending Punitive, Unfair, School-based Harm that is Overt and Unresponsive to Trauma Act of 2025 or the Ending PUSHOUT Act of 2025.

2. Purpose It is the purpose of this Act to— strengthen data collection related to exclusionary discipline practices in schools and the discriminatory application of such practices, which disproportionately pushes students of color, particularly girls of color, out of school; eliminate the discriminatory use and overuse of exclusionary discipline practices based on actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, parenting status, or other stereotype related to sex), or disability; eliminate all unnecessary loss of instructional time due to unsound or excessive use of formal and informal disciplinary removal from instructional settings; and prevent the criminalization and pushout of students from school, especially Black and Brown girls, as a result of educational barriers that include discrimination, adultification, punitive discipline policies and practices, and a failure to recognize and support students with mental health needs or experiencing trauma.

3. Definitions In this Act: The term act of insubordination means an act that disrupts a school activity or instance when a student willfully defies the valid authority of a school official. The term appearance or grooming policy means any practice, policy, or portion of a student conduct code that governs or restricts the appearance of students, including policies that— restrict or prescribe clothing that a student may wear (including hijabs, headwraps, or bandanas); restrict specific hair styles (such as braids, locs, twists, Bantu knots, cornrows, extensions, or afros); or restrict whether or how a student may apply make-up, nail polish, or other cosmetics. The term chemical restraint means a drug or medication used on a student to control behavior or restrict freedom of movement that is not— prescribed by a licensed physician, or other qualified health professional acting under the scope of the professional’s authority under State law, for the standard treatment of a student’s medical or psychiatric condition; and administered as prescribed by a licensed physician or other qualified health professional acting under the scope of the authority of a health professional under State law. The term corporal punishment means, with respect to a student, a deliberate act which causes the student to feel physical pain for the purpose of discipline, including an act of physical force, such as striking, spanking, or paddling, inflicted on a student’s body, requiring a student to assume a painful physical position, or the use of chemical sprays, electroshock weapons, or stun guns on a student’s body. The term culturally sustaining describes educational practices that encourage students to bring their cultural and linguistic assets and life experiences to a school community. Culturally sustaining practices incorporate those assets and experiences into coursework and the social fabric of a school. The term direct supervision means a student is physically in the same location as a school official and such student is under the care of the school official or school. The term disability means a mental or physical disability that meets the conditions set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) of section 602(3)(A) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)(A)(i) and (ii)) or in section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794). The term disciplinary alternative school means a short- or long-term educational setting to which a student is sent for disciplinary or behavioral reasons for a specified amount of time before being allowed to return to their regular school setting. The terms elementary school, English learner, local educational agency, secondary school, and State educational agency has the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). The term exclusionary discipline describes school policies and practices, whether formal or informal action of school officials or by law enforcement, used to discipline students by removing them from their regular learning environment. The term gender identity means the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual regardless of the designated sex at birth of the individual. The term informal removal means an administrative removal of a student from the learning environment for part or all of the school day, or an indefinite period of time, without documenting the removal as a suspension or expulsion or engaging in formalized disciplinary processes. The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)). The term in-school suspension means an instance in which a student is temporarily removed from a regular classroom for at least half a day but remains under the direct supervision of a school official. The term mechanical restraint has the meaning given the term in section 595(d)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290jj(d)(1)), except that the meaning shall be applied by substituting student for resident. The term multi-tiered system of supports means a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, systemic practices to support a rapid response to the needs of students, with regular observation to facilitate data-based instructional decision making. The term out-of-school suspension means an instance in which a student is excluded from their school for disciplinary reasons by temporarily being removed from regular classes to another setting, including a home, virtual school placement, alternative school placement, disciplinary alternative school, or behavior center, regardless of whether such disciplinary removal is deemed as a suspension by school officials. The term physical escort has the meaning given the term in section 595(d)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290jj(d)(2)), except that the meaning shall be applied by substituting student for resident. The term physical restraint means a personal restriction that immobilizes or reduces the ability of an individual to move the individual’s arms, legs, torso, or head freely, except that such term does not include a physical escort, mechanical restraint, or chemical restraint. The term positive behavioral interventions and supports means a schoolwide, systematic approach that embeds evidence-based practices and data-driven decision-making to improve school climate and culture in order to achieve improved academic and social outcomes and increase learning for all students (including students with the most complex and intensive behavioral needs) and encompasses a range of systemic and individualized positive strategies to teach and reinforce school-expected behaviors, while discouraging and diminishing undesirable behaviors. The term pushout means an instance when a student leaves elementary, middle or secondary school, including a forced transfer to another school, prior to graduating secondary school due to overuse of exclusionary discipline practices, failure to address trauma or other mental health needs, discrimination, or other educational barriers that do not support or promote the success of a student. The term school-based law enforcement officer means an individual who— is— assigned by a law enforcement agency to a secondary or elementary school or local educational agency; contracting with a secondary or elementary school or local educational agency; or employed by a secondary or elementary school or local educational agency; has the legal power to detain, arrest, issue a citation, perform a custodial investigation, or refer a person to a criminal or juvenile court; meets the definition of a law enforcement personnel under State law; or may be referred to as a school resource officer, a sworn law enforcement officer, or a school police officer. The term school official means an educator, school principal, administrator, or other personnel, not considered school-based law enforcement, engaged in the performance of duties with respect to a school. The term seclusion means the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area where the student is physically prevented from leaving, and does not include a time out. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education. The term serious bodily injury has the meaning given that term in section 1365(h)(3) of title 18, United States Code. The term sexual orientation means how a person identifies in terms of their emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction, and includes identification as straight, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual, among other terms. The term special education school means a school that focuses primarily on serving the needs of students who qualify as a child with a disability as that term is defined under section 602(3)(A)(i) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)(A)(i)) or are subject to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794). The term threat assessment means actions consisting of referrals or meetings initiated by a member of school staff, administrator, school counselor, or educator that include law enforcement officers to assess whether a student constitutes a threat or risk to self or others. The term time out has the meaning given the term in section 595(d)(5) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290jj(d)(5)), except that the meaning shall be applied by substituting “student” for “resident”. The term trauma-informed services means a service delivery approach that— recognizes and responds to the impacts of trauma with evidence-based supports and intervention; emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both providers of services and survivors of trauma; and creates opportunities for survivors of trauma to rebuild a sense of healing and empowerment. The term zero-tolerance policy is a school discipline policy that results in an automatic disciplinary consequence, including out-of-school suspension, expulsion, and involuntary school transfer.

4. Strengthening civil rights data collection with respect to exclusionary discipline in schools The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights shall annually carry out data collection, while maintaining appropriate safety and privacy standards, authorized under section 203(c)(1) of the Department of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3413(c)(1)), which shall include data with respect to students enrolled in a public preschool, elementary, or secondary school (including traditional public, charter, virtual, special education school, and alternative schools or placements) who received the following disciplinary actions during the preceding school year: Suspension (including the classification of the suspension as in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension), which shall include data with respect to— the number of students who were suspended, disaggregated and cross-tabulated by type of suspension and by— enrollment in a preschool or in an elementary school and secondary school by grade level; race; ethnicity; sex (including, to the extent possible, sexual orientation and gender identity); low-income status; disability status (including students eligible for disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401 et. seq.) or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 10 794)); English learner status; foster care status; housing status, to the extent possible; Tribal citizenship or descent, in the first or second degree, of an Indian Tribe, to the extent possible; and pregnant and parenting student status, to the extent possible; the number and length of suspensions; the reason for each such suspension, including— a violation of a zero-tolerance policy and whether such violation was due to a violent or nonviolent offense; a violation of an appearance policy, dress code, or grooming policy; an act of insubordination; willful defiance; and a violation of a school code of conduct; and the number of days of lost instruction due to each out-of-school and in-school suspension. Expulsion, including agreements to withdraw a child from school in lieu of an expulsion process, which shall include data with respect to— the number of students who were expelled, disaggregated and cross-tabulated as outlined under clauses (i) through (xi) of subsection (a)(1)(A); and the reason for each such expulsion, including— a violation of a zero-tolerance policy and whether such violation was due to a violent or nonviolent offense; a violation of an appearance policy, dress code, or grooming policy; an act of insubordination, willful defiance, or violation of a school code of conduct; and the use of profane or vulgar language. The number of students subject to an out-of-school transfer to a different school, including alternative education placements or a virtual school, disaggregated and cross-tabulated as outlined under clauses (i) through (xi) of subsection (a)(1)(A), and the primary reason for each such transfer. The number of students subject to a referral to law enforcement or threat assessment process, disaggregated and cross-tabulated as outlined under clauses (i) through (xi) of subsection (a)(1)(A), including the primary reason for each such referral, and whether such referral resulted in an arrest. The number of students arrested at school, including at school-sponsored activities, disaggregated and cross-tabulated as outlined under clauses (i) through (xi) of subsection (a)(1)(A), and the primary reason for such arrest. The number of students subject to a referral to or placement in a residential facility, including for temporary or short-term holds (such as 48-hour or 72-hour holds) disaggregated and cross-tabulated as outlined under clauses (i) through (xi) of subsection (a)(1)(A). The number of students subject to placement in juvenile or criminal legal confinement or other institutionalized settings, including diversion to arrest programs and mental and psychiatric programs, disaggregated and cross-tabulated as outlined under clauses (i) through (xi) of subsection (a)(1)(A). Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights shall submit to Congress a report on the data collected under subsection (a). The report required under paragraph (1) shall— identify, with respect to the data collected under subsection (a), schools, local educational agencies, and States that demonstrate a pattern of the overuse and discriminatory use of exclusionary disciplinary practices; be disaggregated and cross tabulated, except that such disaggregation shall not be required in the case of a State, local educational agency, or a school in which the number of students in a subgroup is insufficient to yield statistically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student, by— enrollment in a preschool or in an elementary school and secondary school by grade level; race; ethnicity; sex (including, to the extent possible, sexual orientation and gender identity); low-income status; disability status (including students eligible for disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401 et. seq.) or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794)); English learner status; foster care status; housing status, to the extent possible; Tribal citizenship or descent, in the first or second degree, of an Indian Tribe; and pregnant and parenting student status, to the extent possible; be publicly accessible in multiple languages, accessibility formats, and provided in a language that parents, families, and community members can understand; and be presented in a manner that protects the privacy of individuals consistent with the requirements of section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g), commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

5. Grants to reduce exclusionary school discipline practices The Secretary shall award grants (which shall be known as the Healing School Climate Grants), on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the purpose of reducing the overuse and discriminatory use of exclusionary discipline practices and policies in schools. In this section, the term eligible entity means— one or more local educational agencies (who may be partnered with a State educational agency), including a public charter school that is a local educational agency under State law or local educational agency operated by the Bureau of Indian Education; or a nonprofit organization (defined as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code) with a track record of success in improving school climates and supporting students. An eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including an assurance that the eligible entity shall prioritize schools with high rates of disparities in exclusionary discipline, such as suspensions, expulsions, law enforcement referrals, and school-based arrests, for students of color, students with disabilities, LGBTQI+ students, English language learners, students experiencing homelessness, students involved in the foster care system, and students living at the intersections of these identities, and historical patterns of disparities in exclusionary school discipline. The Secretary shall make applications publicly accessible in an appropriate digital format. An eligible entity that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall prohibit the use of— out-of-school suspension or expulsion for any student in preschool through grade 5 for incidents that do not involve serious physical injury; out-of-school suspension or expulsion for any student in preschool through grade 12 for insubordination, willful defiance, vulgarity, truancy, tardiness, chronic absenteeism, or as a result of a violation of a grooming or appearance policy; corporal punishment; seclusion; a mechanical or chemical restraint on a student; or a physical restraint or physical escort that is life threatening, that restricts breathing, or that restricts blood flow to the brain, including prone and supine restraint, on a student, except when each of the following requirements are met: The student’s behavior poses an imminent danger of serious physical injury to the student, program personnel, or another individual. Before using physical restraint, less restrictive interventions would be ineffective in stopping such imminent danger of serious physical injury. Such physical restraint is imposed by— program personnel trained and certified by a State-approved crisis intervention training program; or program personnel not trained and certified as described in clause (i), in the case of a rare and clearly unavoidable emergency circumstance when program personnel certified as described in clause (i) is not immediately available due to the unforeseeable nature of the emergency circumstance. Such physical restraint ends immediately upon the cessation of the imminent danger of serious physical injury to the student, any program personnel, or another individual. The physical restraint does not interfere with the student’s ability to communicate in the student’s primary language or primary mode of communication. During the physical restraint, the least amount of force necessary is used to protect the student or others from the threatened injury. The physical restraint does not affect or interfere with, with respect to a student, a disability, health care needs, or a medical or psychiatric condition documented in a— health care directive or medical management plan; a behavior intervention plan; an individualized education program or an individualized family service plan (as defined in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401)); or another relevant record made available to the State or eligible entity involved. An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use funds to— evaluate the current discipline policies of schools under the eligible entity and, in partnership with students (including girls of color), the family members of students, and the local community of such school, develop discipline policies for such schools to ensure that such policies are not exclusionary or discriminately applied toward students; provide training and professional development for school officials to avoid or address the overuse and discriminatory disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline practices in schools and to create awareness of implicit and explicit bias and use culturally sustaining practices, including training in— identifying and providing support to students who may have experienced or are at risk of experiencing trauma or have other mental health needs; administering and responding to assessments on adverse childhood experiences; providing student-centered, trauma-informed services and positive behavior management interventions that create safe and supportive school climates; using restorative practices; using culturally and linguistically responsive intervention strategies; developing social and emotional learning competencies; and increasing student engagement and improving dialogue between students and educators; implement and evaluate evidence-based alternatives to suspension or expulsion, including— multi-tier systems of support, such as positive behavioral interventions and supports; social, emotional, and academic learning strategies designed to engage students and avoid escalating conflicts; and other data-driven approaches to improving school environments; improve behavioral and academic outcomes for students by creating a safe and supportive learning environment and school climate, which may include— restorative practices with respect to improving relationships among students, school officials, and members of the local community, which may include partnering with local mental health agencies or nonprofit organizations; access to mentors and peer-based support programs; extracurricular programs, including sports and art programs; social and emotional learning strategies designed to engage students and avoid escalating conflicts; access to counseling, mental health programs, and trauma-informed services, including suicide prevention programs; and access to culturally responsive curricula that affirms the history and contributions of traditionally marginalized people and communities; hire social workers, school counselors, trauma-informed care personnel, and other mental health personnel who shall not serve as proxies for school-based law enforcement officers; and support the development, delivery, and analysis of school climate surveys. An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may not use funds to— hire or retain school-based law enforcement personnel, including school resource officers; purchase, maintain, or install surveillance equipment, including metal detectors or software programs that monitor or mine the social media use or technology use of students; arm educators, principals, school leaders, or other school personnel; and enter into formal or informal partnerships or data and information sharing agreements with— the Secretary of Homeland Security, including agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection; or State, local, or other law enforcement agencies, including partnerships that allow for hiring of school-based law enforcement. The Secretary, in carrying out subsection (a), may reserve not more than 2 percent of funds to provide technical assistance to eligible entities, which may include— support for data collection, compliance, and analysis of the activities of the program authorized under subsection (a); and informational meetings and seminars with respect to the application process under subsection (c). Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, and to the public, a report on the activities funded through the grant. The Secretary shall make each such report publicly accessible in an appropriate digital format. Such report shall include, at a minimum, a description of— the evaluation methods of disciplinary practices prior to the grant; training and professional development services provided for school officials, including school-based law enforcement officers, to address discriminatory discipline practices, implicit and explicit bias, and other uses described in subsection (e)(1); aggregated and de-identified behavioral, social, emotional, and academic outcomes experienced by students; any instance of physical restraint used on a student with an explanation of a circumstance described in subsection (d)(6); the number of students who were referred to some form of alternative practice described in subsection (e)(1)(C); disaggregated data on students suspended, expelled, arrested at school, and referred to the juvenile or criminal legal system, except that such disaggregation shall not be required in the case of a State, local educational agency, or a school in which the number of students in a subgroup is insufficient to yield statistically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student, cross tabulated by— reason for disciplinary action; type and length of disciplinary action; grade level; race; ethnicity; sex (including to the extent possible, sexual orientation and gender identity); low-income status; disability status; English learner status; foster care status; housing status, to the extent possible; Tribal citizenship or descent, in the first or second degree, of an Indian Tribe; and pregnant and parenting student status, to the extent possible; and any other information required by the Secretary.

6. Joint task force to end school pushout of girls of color The Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish and operate a joint task force to end school pushout (in this section referred to as the Joint Task Force). The Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall chair the Joint Task Force. The Joint Task Force shall include 21 total members and be composed of— 6 students, including 2 Black, Brown, and Indigenous girls; 2 educators; 3 parents, including foster parents, legal guardians, and caregivers with children enrolled in public school; 3 public school officials; 3 representatives from the civil rights community, including civil rights and disability organizations; 2 psychologists, social workers, trauma-informed personnel, and other mental health professionals with expertise in child and adolescent development; and 2 researchers with experience in behavioral intervention with children and youth. The Joint Task Force shall not include law enforcement officers. In addition to the members under paragraph (2), the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the Director of the Bureau of Indian Education shall be advisory members of the Joint Task Force. Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall appoint the members of the Joint Task Force— in accordance with paragraph (2); using a competitive application process; and with consideration to the racial, ethnic, gender, disability, and geographic diversity of the Joint Task Force. The Joint Task Force shall— conduct a study to— identify causes for disparities in school discipline administration that push girls of color out of schools; identify best practices for reducing the overuse and discriminatory use of exclusionary discipline practices; identify interventions and accountability for local and State educational agencies when disparities in school discipline are found; and determine to what extent exclusionary discipline practices contribute to the criminalization of— girls of color; English learners; Indigenous girls; LGBTQI+ students; students experiencing homelessness; students involved in the foster care system; and students with disabilities; and develop recommendations based on the study conducted under paragraph (1). Not later than 360 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and biannually thereafter, the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the recommendations under subsection (c)(2). The report shall be— available to the public through the public website of the Department of Health and Human Services and by request; accessible in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); and available in multiple languages.