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SF 518

A bill for an act requiring school employees to be put on administrative leave in certain specified circumstances.

2025-2026 Regular Session

The bill requires immediate administrative leave for school staff when a BOEE finding of probable cause for child abuse or a court finding of negligence is issued, until related ac

Referred to Education.
#civilprocedure #criminalprocedure #educationalexaminersboard #laborandemployment #privateeducation #schooladministrators #schoolboards #schooldistricts #schools #teachers
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Bill Summary · SF 518

Summary of SF 518 (Introduced March 5, 2025)

Snapshot

  • Bill: SF 518
  • Title: A bill for an act requiring school employees to be put on administrative leave in certain specified circumstances
  • Status: Referred to Education (as of June 16, 2025)
  • Introduced: March 5, 2025
  • Relevant subjects: civil and criminal procedure, Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE), labor and employment, school districts and schools, teachers, school administrators, private education

What the bill would do

SF 518 would require school employers to place an affected employee on administrative leave immediately under two specified circumstances, and keep the employee on leave until the related process concludes:
1) The employee has a case pending before the BOEE related to abuse of a child, and the BOEE has made a finding of probable cause.
2) While employed by the school, the employee was involved in a criminal or civil action in which a court found that the employee was negligent, with the school conducting an investigation into the employee’s actions.

Key provisions and changes

  • Automatic placement on administrative leave: Triggered immediately upon the specified BOEE or court-based findings.
  • Duration of leave: The employee must remain on administrative leave until the BOEE case is completed and/or the school’s investigation is completed.
  • Scope of employees: Applies to school employees, including those in public and private education settings, affecting teachers, administrators, and other school personnel.
  • Relationship to investigations: Leaves administrative decisions pending the outcome of regulatory or judicial proceedings and school investigations.

Who would be affected

  • School districts and school boards
  • School administrators and teachers
  • Employees in private education settings
  • Entities responsible for employee discipline and human resources within schools

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduction and committee routing: Introduced March 5, 2025; referred to Education.
  • Committee action: A committee report approving the bill was noted on March 5, 2025.
  • Ongoing status: As of June 16, 2025, the bill remained in the Education committee process (referred to Education).

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Student safety: Provisions aim to remove potentially at-risk staff from the school environment during investigations or regulatory actions.
  • Staffing and operations: Immediate administrative leaves could disrupt staffing and require coverage and potential budget implications.
  • Due process and rights: The bill does not specify paid vs. unpaid leave, notice requirements, or processes for reinstatement or appeals; these details would be critical in implementation and could interact with collective bargaining agreements.
  • Implementation detail gaps: Definitions of “probable cause” findings, what constitutes “investigation completion,” and whether partial or interim reinvestigation results affect leave status are not specified in the introduced text.

Next steps for readers

  • Monitor further amendments and floor actions in the Education committee for details on compensation, return-to-work procedures, appeals, and any exceptions or exemptions.
  • Consider potential fiscal and contractual implications for school districts if the bill advances.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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