An Act to Provide De-escalation and Behavior Intervention Training
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1097
Sponsors: MURPHY, RAFFERTY
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6558

Legislative Document
No. 1097
H.P. 719
House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
An Act to Provide De-escalation and Behavior Intervention Training 
for School Personnel
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 14, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MURPHY of Scarborough.
Cosponsored by Senator RAFFERTY of York and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, CRAFTS of Newcastle, DODGE of Belfast, KUHN 
of Falmouth, MOONEN of Portland, Senator: PIERCE of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §6558 is enacted to read:
§6558.  De-escalation and behavior intervention training
1.  De-escalation and behavior intervention training.  Beginning in the 2026-2027 
school year and every 3rd school year thereafter, a school administrative unit shall provide 
at least 4 hours of training in the following topics to each of its administrators, teachers and 
education technicians:
A.  Positive behavior interventions;
B.  Communicative intent of behaviors;
C.  Alternatives to restrictive procedures, including techniques to identify events and 
environmental factors that may escalate behavior;
D.  De-escalation methods;
E.  Standards for using restraint and seclusion procedures;
F.  Obtaining emergency medical assistance;
G.  The physiological and psychological effect of restraint and seclusion;
H.  Monitoring and responding to a child's physical signs of distress;
I.  The school administrative unit's policies and procedures for timely reporting and 
documenting of each incident involving the dangerous behavior of a student and the 
law governing dangerous behavior prevention and intervention under section 6555; and
J.  Positive behavior strategies.
2.  Training list.  The department shall maintain a list of trainings under subsection 1 
and a list of experts who can help school administrative units provide training pursuant to 
this section.
3.  New hires.  Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, a school administrative unit 
shall offer training pursuant to this section to all new school administrators, teachers and 
education technicians within 60 days of hiring.
Sec. 2.  De-escalation and behavior intervention training best practices.  The 
Department of Education shall convene teachers and other educators and experts in the 
subject matter of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6558 to develop best 
practices for trainings given pursuant to section 6558 and distribute the best practices to all 
school administrative units in the State no later than September 1, 2026. 
SUMMARY
This bill directs a school administrative unit to provide, beginning in the 2026-2027 
school year and every 3rd year thereafter, at least 4 hours of training to each of its school 
administrators, teachers and education technicians in topics related to de-escalation and 
behavior intervention.  It directs the Department of Education to maintain a list of trainings 
and a list of experts who can help school administrative units provide training.  It requires 
school administrative units to offer, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, training to all 
new school administrators, teachers and education technicians within 60 days of hiring.  It 
requires the department to convene teachers and other educators and experts to develop 
best practices for trainings and distribute the best practices to all school administrative units 
in the State no later than September 1, 2026.