To prohibit the use of corporal punishment in schools, 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 bans corporal punishment (physical discipline like striking, spanking, or paddling) in all schools that receive federal funding. It also requires states to report on school discipline practices and offers grants to help schools implement positive behavioral interventions instead of suspensions, expulsions, and other exclusionary discipline.
Who Benefits and How
Students benefit from protection against physical punishment and reduced use of suspensions and expulsions. Students of color and students with disabilities particularly benefit, as they are disproportionately affected by harsh discipline. Schools and educators benefit from grants and training to implement positive behavioral support programs like restorative justice and trauma-informed care.
Who Bears the Burden and How
State and local educational agencies must submit compliance reports and school climate reports to the federal government. Schools receiving federal funds must change discipline policies to eliminate corporal punishment. Programs that violate the ban may have federal funding withheld.
Key Provisions
- Complete prohibition of corporal punishment by school staff, law enforcement officers, and security guards in federally-funded schools
- Parents can sue for attorneys fees, expert fees, and compensatory damages if their child is subjected to corporal punishment
- Grant program for states to implement positive behavioral interventions and reduce exclusionary discipline
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Prohibits corporal punishment in schools receiving federal funding and requires states to implement positive behavioral intervention programs to improve school climate and reduce exclusionary discipline practices.
Key Policy Areas
Education, Civil Rights, Child Welfare
Primary Purpose
Prohibits corporal punishment in schools receiving federal funding and requires states to implement positive behavioral intervention programs to improve school climate and reduce exclusionary discipline practices.
Policy Domains
Title I - Prohibition of Corporal Punishment (Sections 101-104)
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Students in federally-funded schools
- Parents of students
- Students with disabilities
- Students of color
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Schools receiving federal funding
- State educational agencies
- Local educational agencies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title II - State Plan and Grant Program (Sections 201-202)
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Students
- State educational agencies
- Local educational agencies
- Education consultants and training providers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- State educational agencies
- Local educational agencies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title III - Miscellaneous (Sections 301-306)
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Students in DOD schools
- Students in BIE schools
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Department of Defense
- Department of the Interior
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Bonamici (for herself, Mrs. McBath, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Homeschooling families, Military-connected students, Native American students in BIE schools
Private schools without federal funding, Schools receiving federal funding
Positive-direction: Private schools without federal funding
Negative-direction: Schools receiving federal funding
Bureau of Indian Education schools, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), Department of Education
Department of Education faces effects in multiple directions
Local educational agencies, State educational agencies
Local educational agencies, State educational agencies face effects in multiple directions
Education consultants and training providers, Restorative justice practitioners
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Education
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Education
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General of the United States
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Education
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Education
- "the_secretary_of_defense"
- → Secretary of Defense
- "the_secretary_of_the_interior"
- → Secretary of the Interior
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A schoolwide, systematic approach embedding evidence-based practices and data-driven decision making to improve school climate and achieve improved academic and social outcomes.
All operations of a local educational agency, vocational education system, Head Start programs, or private elementary/secondary schools serving students receiving special education under IDEA.
Any agent of a program including employees and contractors such as school leaders, teachers, paraprofessionals, and staff, but explicitly excluding law enforcement officers and school security guards.
A deliberate act causing a student physical pain for discipline purposes, including striking, spanking, paddling, requiring painful physical positions, or use of chemical sprays, electroshock weapons, or stun guns.
Any disciplinary action that removes or excludes a student from usual educational setting, including in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, or any removal resulting in lost instructional time.
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.
Learn more about our methodology