This bill (HD 3633) updates Massachusetts law regarding medical exemptions for school immunizations. It requires physicians to provide a written "Medical Certification" stating a child's health would be endangered by vaccination, based on factors like family history or pre-existing conditions. The certification must be submitted annually to the school health program, kept confidential (not shared outside that program or used in court without consent), and protects physicians from disciplinary action or professional harm for issuing it. This directly affects parents seeking exemptions, schools, and healthcare providers involved in school health requirements.
This bill ensures Eileen Mullen, a Massachusetts teacher, receives credit for her 2010-2013 teaching service at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School toward her retirement benefits. It requires the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement Board to count this service time for calculating her retirement allowance, overriding standard rules. Mullen must repay the retirement system for the deductions she would have paid during that period, plus interest, before her retirement benefits take effect. The bill applies solely to Mullen and does not affect her other retirement benefits.
This bill ensures that students enrolled in the associate degree program at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture (part of UMass Amherst) pay in-state tuition rates. It directly affects undergraduate students in this specific agricultural program by mandating their inclusion in the existing tuition program established under Section 5B of Chapter 15A of the General Laws. The key mechanism is a legal requirement that overrides any conflicting laws, guaranteeing these students receive the same in-state tuition treatment as other eligible programs. This is a concrete policy change to align tuition rates, not a procedural or commemorative measure.
This bill expands Massachusetts' paid family and medical leave program by clarifying who qualifies as an "employer" under the law. It specifically designates school districts as covered employers (not subject to certain restrictions), identifies the Department of Early Education and Care as the employer for family child care providers, and defines the PCA Quality Home Care Workforce Council as the employer for personal care attendants. The bill also creates a new "Educator Paid Family and Medical Leave Fund" to reimburse school districts for providing paid leave benefits to their employees, funded by state appropriations and interest. This directly affects school districts, personal care attendants, and family child care providers by changing their employer relationships and funding mechanisms for leave benefits.
This bill establishes a special education financing commission to study Massachusetts' special education funding system and recommend improvements for long-term fiscal health. The commission must evaluate current funding structures and propose changes to achieve specific goals, including ensuring sufficient funds for high-quality education, equitable distribution based on student needs and district resources, and predictable funding with 90% reimbursement for transportation and circuit breaker costs. Key policy changes include raising transportation reimbursement to 90% and lowering the approved costs threshold for funding from $45,793 to $37,120 per student. The bill directly affects school districts, students with disabilities, and their families by aiming to make special education funding more stable, equitable, and sufficient. The commission must submit recommendations by June 2025.
H 35 is not a single bill but a letter from Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg presenting 15 legislative recommendations to the General Court. The recommendations cover diverse policy areas including modernizing alcohol laws, expanding retirement savings access (e.g., 401(k) CORE Plan, Baby Bonds program), updating pension systems (State Employees, Turnpike Authority), requiring financial education in schools, and advocating for public pension fund divestment from firearms. These proposals aim to modernize state financial operations, enhance economic security for residents, and improve retirement and capital access policies. The document serves as a formal request for the Legislature to consider these specific legislative actions, not as a bill itself.
So much of the recommendations of the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System (House, No. 26) as relates to clarifying creditable service buyback for publicly funded non-public schools
By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Colleen M. Garry for legislation to establish an opt-out admissions lottery process for charter schools. Education.
This bill (S 2521) allocates specific funding for child care programs under the Executive Office of Education for fiscal year 2025. It provides $95,554,342 for DCF and DTA-related child care and $94,015,214 for income-eligible child care, supplementing existing appropriations. The funds are intended to support low-income families and early education services through established state agencies. The bill was enacted as an emergency measure on May 29, 2025, with no new policy requirements beyond the specified funding amounts.
This bill requires all public school children in Massachusetts to receive a mental health wellness examination by a licensed professional within 12 months prior to kindergarten entry or within 30 days of the school year start. Parents must provide certification of this exam to school health staff, with religious exemptions available via written request. Private school students (meeting specific non-discrimination criteria) may opt-in through parental request, and private schools not conducting exams must inform parents and recommend they arrange them. The bill mandates detailed written reports from examiners to schools and parents, including diagnoses, treatment plans, and educational adjustments. It also adds funding provisions to support mental health wellness exams in underserved school districts.
