Catch Title: HB0065 K-12 Public School Discipline

Category: Education

Sponsor: Joint Education Interim Committee

Effective Date: Immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law

Bill URL: https://wyoleg.gov/2026/Introduced/HB0065.pdf

Overview:

This bill mandates that Wyoming school districts adopt comprehensive rules and policies for student discipline that empower teachers and staff to maintain a safe and productive learning environment . It explicitly authorizes the removal of violent or disruptive students from classrooms and grants teachers significant authority over the return of those students . Additionally, the bill requires district-funded professional development, establishes new annual reporting requirements for “major” disciplinary actions, and repeals existing legal immunity for the use of corporal discipline .

Key Provisions:

• Mandatory Policy Adoption: Requires all school district boards of trustees to adopt rules or policies for disciplinary measures and punishment no later than August 1, 2026 .
• Removal of Disruptive Students: Grants school employees the authority to use reasonable force to remove violent, abusive, uncontrollable, or disruptive students to ensure the safety of personnel and other students .
• Teacher Consent for Re-entry: Prohibits a student who has been removed from a class from returning to that same class without the express written consent of the classroom teacher .
• Authorized Consequences: Specifies that consequences imposed by administrators or boards may include alternative classroom placement, in-school suspension, exclusion from school-sponsored activities, or traditional suspension and expulsion .
• Mandatory Professional Development: Requires districts to provide ongoing, high-quality, district-funded training to ensure staff can manage behavior and provide an adequate education .
• Annual Disciplinary Reporting: Schools must report “major student disciplinary actions” to their boards by June 15, which are then consolidated and reported to the Department of Education by July 15, and finally to the Joint Education Interim Committee by August 15 each year .
• Employee Protections: Provides that teachers acting consistently with these policies and state board rules shall not be subject to professional reprimands, disciplinary proceedings, or adverse employment actions .
• Repeal of Corporal Discipline Immunity: Repeals W.S. 21-4-308(b), effectively removing state-granted immunity for the use of corporal discipline.

Implications:

• Shift in Administrative Authority: The bill significantly shifts disciplinary control from school administrators to individual teachers by requiring teacher written consent before a student can re-enter a classroom .
• Potential Unfunded Mandate: The requirement for districts to provide “high quality and district-funded professional development” lacks a specific state appropriation, potentially placing a substantial financial burden on local school districts .
• Administrative Bottleneck for Minor Issues: The requirement that principals or superintendents must “consult with and involve” parents in the imposition of “any consequence” may create significant administrative delays in addressing routine or minor disciplinary matters .
• Loss of Immunity for Corporal Discipline: The repeal of W.S. 21-4-308(b) removes a legal shield for school employees, likely resulting in the total administrative prohibition of corporal discipline to avoid personal and district liability.
• Ambiguity in State Reporting: The bill requires the reporting of “major student disciplinary actions” but does not define the criteria for what constitutes a “major” action . [Ambiguous: Without a statutory definition, reporting may be inconsistent across districts, undermining the data’s utility for the legislature].