Restraint and Seclusion Laws in Colorado
What are the restraint and seclusion rules in Colorado?
Colorado's restraint and seclusion laws for students are governed by the Children's Act for Positive Practices, Supports, and Interventions, originally enacted as HB10-1376 and substantially strengthened by HB22-1376 (2022), codified at C.R.S. §22-20-108.5 and related provisions, with CDE guidance under the Exceptional Student Services Unit. Note: some provisions may also appear under C.R.S. §22-20-125 depending on renumbering in current statute. Colorado prohibits prone restraint (face-down restraint) and mechanical restraint except in defined extreme safety emergencies. Physical restraint is permitted only when a student poses an imminent risk of physical harm to self or others and less restrictive interventions have been tried and are ineffective. Key provisions include: same-day parent notification when a restraint event occurs lasting more than 1 minute; written incident reports within 5 calendar days for restraints lasting more than 5 minutes; and requirements for continuous monitoring of seclusion. The ECEA Rules at §6.02(10) defer to the federal discipline framework for broader disciplinary contexts. Colorado's framework emphasizes positive behavioral supports as required practices before more restrictive interventions.
What Colorado Requires
Physical restraint is permitted only when a student poses an imminent risk of physical harm to self or others and less restrictive interventions have been tried and are ineffective (C.R.S. §22-20-108.5; HB22-1376 (2022)).
Prone (face-down) restraint and mechanical restraint are prohibited except in defined extreme safety emergencies (C.R.S. §22-20-108.5; HB22-1376 (2022)).
Parents must be notified on the same day of the incident for restraints lasting more than 1 minute but less than 5 minutes (HB22-1376, Chapter 243 (2022)).
A written incident report must be provided to parents within 5 calendar days for restraint events lasting more than 5 minutes (HB22-1376, Chapter 243 (2022)).
Seclusion rooms must be monitored continuously while a student is in seclusion; seclusion may be used only under specific safety conditions (HB22-1376, Chapter 243 (2022)).
Restraint and seclusion data must be reported to the CDE and made publicly available as part of state accountability (C.R.S. §22-20-108.5).
Key Timelines
Parent notification on the same day of the incident for restraints lasting more than 1 minute but less than 5 minutes (HB22-1376 (2022)).
Written incident report to parents within 5 calendar days for restraints lasting more than 5 minutes (HB22-1376 (2022)).
Annual reporting of restraint and seclusion data to the CDE (C.R.S. §22-20-108.5).