Utah

"Mechanical restraint" means the use of any device or equipment to restrict a student's freedom of movement.

"Physical restraint" means a personal restriction that immobilizes or significantly reduces the ability of a student to move the student's arms, legs, body, or head freely.

"Chemical restraint" means the use of medication administered to a student, including medications prescribed by the student's physician or other qualified health professional, on an as-needed basis for the sole purpose of involuntarily limiting the student's freedom of movement.

Not defined.

"Seclusion" means seclusionary time out that is the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving, including: (i) placing a student in a locked room; or (ii) placing a student in a room where the door is blocked by furniture or held closed by staff.

"Corporal punishment" means the intentional infliction of physical pain upon the body of a student as a disciplinary measure.

Yes. The requirements are as follows: (14) (a) If an LEA operates a seclusion room, the seclusion room shall comply with the standards described in this Subsection (14) in accordance with the procedures and interim milestones established by the state board under Subsection (14)(i)(iv). (b) All new school construction that includes plans for a seclusion room shall have seclusion rooms that comply with this Subsection (14). (c) A seclusion room shall meet the following physical standards: (i) have a minimum interior area of 60 square feet; (ii) have a minimum distance of six feet between opposing walls; (iii) have a ceiling height that is comparable to other rooms in the building in which the seclusion room is located, but in no case less than eight feet; (iv) be constructed of materials that cannot be used to harm the occupant or others; (v) be free of open electrical outlets and exposed wiring; (vi) be designed so that a student cannot climb the walls; (vii) have walls that are part of the structural integrity of the building and may not consist of free-standing cells or portable units attached to existing walls or floors, except that manufactured safety units that are permanently anchored and bolted to the building structure and that meet all other requirements of this Subsection (14) are permitted; (viii) be free of objects, fixtures, and materials that pose a danger to the occupant; (ix) have ceilings, floors, and walls that are free of loose, torn, or potentially hazardous materials; and (x) contain no free-standing furniture. (d) A seclusion room shall meet the following lighting requirements: (i) be properly lighted at all times; (ii) have light fixtures and electrical receptacles that are recessed or constructed to prevent the occupant from causing harm to the occupant's self; and (iii) have light controls located outside the seclusion room. (e) A seclusion room shall meet the following ventilation and climate requirements: (i) be properly ventilated; (ii) be equipped with heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting that is comparable to other rooms in the building; (iii) have natural or mechanical ventilation in compliance with state law including relevant administrative rules; and (iv) be maintained at a temperature that is within the normal comfort range and consistent with the rest of the building. (f) A seclusion room shall meet the following safety requirements: (i) if the seclusion room has windows, the windows shall be transparent and made of unbreakable or shatterproof glass or plastic; (ii) the door shall permit continuous visual and auditory monitoring by staff; (iii) the door shall have a vision panel that: (A) consists of clear, one-fourth inch thick, unbreakable material; (B) is flush with the interior face of the door; (C) is positioned to allow staff to continuously observe the student; and (D) is not covered with any material; (iv) the door shall have only a push panel exposed on the interior of the room; and (v) if a locking mechanism is used on the door, the mechanism shall: (A) engage only when a key, handle, knob, or similar device is actively held in position by a person; or (B) be an electrically or electronically controlled mechanism that automatically releases when the building's fire alarm system is triggered. (g) A seclusion room shall be equipped with audio and video recording equipment that: (i) records all activities that occur in the seclusion room during use; (ii) includes audio recording capability; (iii) maintains recordings in accordance with retention requirements established by the state board in rule, which shall balance evidence preservation needs with data storage costs and student privacy protections; (iv) provides immediate access to recordings for administrative review; (v) complies with applicable student privacy requirements, including: (A) the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g; (B) the student data privacy requirements in Title 53E, Chapter 9, Student Data Privacy and Collection; and (C) other applicable state and federal privacy laws; and (vi) ensures that access to recordings is limited to: (A) school administrators conducting investigations; (B) parents or guardians of the student who was secluded; (C) individuals authorized under applicable privacy laws; and (D) law enforcement when required by law or court order. (h) A seclusion room shall comply with: (i) state and local fire codes; (ii) other applicable building codes; and (iii) relevant administrative rules. (i) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall make rules regarding: (i) additional safety standards for seclusion rooms; (ii) procedures for verifying LEA compliance with this Subsection (14); (iii) requirements for periodic safety inspections of seclusion rooms, which shall be conducted by the LEA, including procedures for the state board to take action against an LEA that fails to conduct required inspections or fails to meet the standards of this Subsection (14); and (iv) procedures and interim milestones for existing seclusion rooms to achieve compliance with this Subsection (14), which procedures shall allow the LEA to determine a reasonable timeline for compliance as described in Subsection (15)(a)(i)(D).

A school employee may use reasonable and necessary physical restraint only: (a) in self defense; (b) to obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object in the possession or under the control of a student; (c) to protect a student or another individual from physical injury; (d) to remove from a situation a student who is violent; or (e) to protect property from being damaged, when physical safety is at risk.

Mechanical restraints are prohibited except for protective and stabilizing restraints as prescribed by an appropriate medical or related services professional, restraints required by law, including seatbelts or any other safety equipment when used to secure students during transportation, and any device used by a law enforcement officer in carrying out law enforcement duties.

Prohibited

For a student in grade 1 or higher, a school may use seclusion as an emergency safety intervention only when: (i) the LEA has developed and implemented written policies and procedures that: (A) describe the circumstances under which a staff member may use seclusion, including compliance with Subsection (14); (B) describe which staff members are authorized to use seclusion; (C) describe procedures for monitoring a student that is in seclusion; (D) describe time limitations on the use of seclusion; (E) require immediate and continuous review of the decision to use seclusion; (F) require documenting the use of seclusion; (G) describe record keeping requirements for records related to the use of seclusion; and (H) require debriefing of all witnesses, involved staff members, the student who was secluded, and the parent of the student who was secluded; (ii) a student poses an immediate and significant threat to the student or others; (iii) less restrictive interventions have failed; (iv) a staff member who is familiar to the student is actively supervising the student for the duration of the seclusion; and (v) the use is time-limited to a maximum time of 30 minutes and monitored.

A school employee may not inflict or cause the infliction of corporal punishment upon a student. Evidence of corporal punishment that would qualify as reasonable discipline under Section 76-2-401 is insufficient to establish liability in a civil or criminal action. Subject to the Rules of Evidence, evidence of corporal punishment that exceeds reasonable discipline under Section 76-2-401 may be used by a court to establish civil or criminal liability. Conduct which is justified is a defense to prosecution for any offense based on the conduct. The defense of justification may be claimed when the actor's conduct is reasonable discipline of minors by parents, guardians, teachers, or other persons in loco parentis, as limited by Subsection (2). The defense of justification under Subsection (1)(c) is not available if the offense charged involves causing serious bodily injury, as defined in Section 76-1-101.5, serious injury, as defined in Section 76-5-109, or the death of the minor.

Not specified.

Yes

A parent or guardian must be contacted within 15 minutes. If a parent or guardian cannot be reached after 15 minutes as required in Subsection (10)(d), and the 30-minute time limit in Subsection (10)(b)(v) has been reached, a school may: (i) conduct a reassessment of the student's condition; (ii) determine whether the student continues to pose an immediate and significant threat to the student or others; and (iii) if the LEA determines that the threat continues and that less restrictive interventions remain ineffective, place the student back in seclusion for an additional period not to exceed 30 minutes, after which the process described in this Subsection (10)(e) shall be repeated if necessary.

An LEA shall collect and report data to the state board annually regarding: (a) an incident; and (b) for each incident, the: (i) duration of an emergency safety intervention used to respond to the incident; (ii) stated purpose for any emergency safety intervention used; (iii) alternative de-escalation strategies attempted; (iv) student demographic information, including sex, age, grade in school, and applicable disability status; and (v) relevant training offered to staff and if the staff involved received the relevant training without revealing the identity of the staff member.

Each emergency incident where a school employee uses an ESI is required to be documented in the LEA's student information system and reported annually to the Superintendent.

An LEA shall collect and report data to the state board annually regarding: (a) an incident; and (b) for each incident, the: (i) duration of an emergency safety intervention used to respond to the incident; (ii) stated purpose for any emergency safety intervention used; (iii) alternative de-escalation strategies attempted; (iv) student demographic information, including sex, age, grade in school, and applicable disability status; and (v) relevant training offered to staff and if the staff involved received the relevant training without revealing the identity of the staff member.

Effective July 1, 2026, Utah law requires an LEA to collect and report data to the state board annually. The Utah State Board of Education's Emergency Safety Interventions (ESI) Frequently Asked Questions, updated January 2026, states that LEAs should report ESI data through Qualtrics by October 15, January 15, April 15, and June 15. LEAs may report ESI data through Qualtrics more frequently. (USBE ESI FAQs, Updated January 2026, p. 8.)

https://www.schools.utah.gov/superintendentannualreport

Both. However, Utah Code Section 53G-8-301 does not apply to a parochial or private school that: (i) does not receive state funds; (ii) adopts a policy of exemption from this section; and (iii) notifies the parents of students in the school of the exemption.

Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, all school employees who supervise students, or who may be asked to assist in managing a student's behavior, shall receive foundational behavior support training, which shall include: (a) behavioral or emotional crisis management including de-escalation strategies consistent with the (LRBI) manual incorporated by reference into Section R277-609-7; and (b) LEA policies related to ESI. The foundational behavior support training, described in Subsection R277-608-4(1), must be completed within two months or 30 days if working directly with a student with disabilities, of employment and bi-annually, thereafter. Key identified school employees shall receive comprehensive ESI training that is research- and evidence-based in addition to the foundational behavior support training. The Comprehensive ESI training shall include: (a) disengagement strategies; (b) the appropriate, safe, and effective use of ESI; and (c) documentation of ESI. The comprehensive ESI training shall be completed before a school employee may use an ESI with a student and annually, thereafter.