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S 10573 NY

Prohibits the use of timeout boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures in schools in the state

NY · session 2025-2026 · Senate · bill

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Introduced May 26, 2026

Latest action (May 26, 2026) REFERRED TO EDUCATION

Summary

The bill prohibits New York schools from using timeout boxes, closets, or other secluded physical enclosures to isolate children as a form of discipline or behavioral management. The prohibition applies to all types of schools in the state, including public schools, charter schools, private schools, and special education programs. The bill defines timeout boxes as including wooden or padded rooms or structures where children are physically isolated.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Official abstract

Prohibits the use of timeout boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures for children in schools in the state.

Sponsor (1)

Action history (1)

  1. May 26, 2026 REFERRED TO EDUCATION · upper

Text versions (2)

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

  • S10573 · HTML
  • S10573 · PDF

Full text

Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us

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New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie

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Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee&nbspVotes Floor&nbspVotes Memo Text LFIN Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript S10573 Summary: BILL NO S10573 &nbsp SAME AS SAME AS A10929

&nbsp SPONSOR STEC &nbsp COSPNSR &nbsp MLTSPNSR &nbsp Add §116, Ed L &nbsp Prohibits the use of timeout boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures for children in schools in the state.

Go to top S10573 Text:

STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________

10573

IN SENATE

May 26, 2026 ___________

Introduced by Sen. STEC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting the use of timeout boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures in schools in the state

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:

1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 116 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 116. Prohibitions on timeout boxes in schools. 1. The use of timeout 4 boxes, closets or other secluded physical enclosures for the isolation 5 of children are prohibited in schools in the state. 6 2. For purposes of this section: 7 (a) "Timeout box" shall include, but not be limited to, a wooden or 8 padded room or structure where a child is isolated. 9 (b) "School" means a public school district, board of cooperative 10 educational services, charter school, state-operated and state-supported 11 school pursuant to articles eighty-five, eighty-seven and eighty-eight 12 of this chapter, in-state and out-of-state private residential or non- 13 residential school for the education of students with disabilities 14 approved pursuant to article eighty-nine of this chapter or operating 15 under article eighty-one of this chapter, state-administered prekinder- 16 garten program directly operated by a school district, board of cooper- 17 ative educational services, or an eligible agency, as defined in 8 NYCRR 18 151-1.2 (b), or operated by a school district in collaboration with an 19 eligible agency, preschool special education program approved pursuant 20 to section four thousand four hundred ten of this chapter, and regis- 21 tered nonpublic nursery school, kindergarten, and high school, and a 22 nonpublic school serving grades one through eight that has a registered 23 high school, in this state. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14409-01-6

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