A state lawmaker is proposing all schools in New York state to have a calming space for students.

Assemblywoman Chantel Jackson, D-Bronx, recently introduced A.8845 to require schools to have spaces for students to pray, meditate or otherwise calm themselves. The legislation would also apply to nonpublic schools, according to the bill’s text.

“Today’s youth are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety, making them more susceptible to substance use disorders, thoughts of suicide, and violence. Implementing accessible wellness rooms gives students a safe space to regulate their emotions and manage stress.”

Many classrooms already have their own space for students to go when they need to calm down without disrupting the rest of their class. Some schools have created calming rooms of one sort or another where students can go without being in full view of their classmates.

But the rooms themselves are not a panacea, according to the AP report. To work, schools have to teach students to recognize they feel angry or frustrated. Then they can use the space to decompress before their emotions erupt, said Kevin Dahill-Fuchel, executive director of Counseling in Schools, a nonprofit that helps schools bolster mental health services.

Jackson’s proposal comes after the state Board of Regents finalized new rules for the 2023-24 school year that prevent teachers from restraining students face down or isolating them alone in rooms they can’t leave, change how schools must report and train staff on the use of physical restraints, seclusion and timeout on students. Schools can still use timeout to remove them from a classroom to calm down as long as they are not placed in locked rooms and are monitored, though the use of physical restraints and timeout to situations when there is an “imminent” threat of injury to someone.

Calming rooms wouldn’t fall under those guidelines because students are free to leave when they are calmed down.

“This initiative not only enhances school connectedness but also positively impacts student participation and overall academic performance, emphasizing the importance of clear expectations in promoting the benefits of wellness rooms,” Jackson wrote in her legislative justification.