By Representative Marsi of Dudley, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 643) of John J. Marsi, Marcus S. Vaughn and Todd M. Smola relative to regional school transportation reimbursement. Education.
By Mr. Payano, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 434) of Pavel M. Payano for legislation to establish an anti-bullying officer pilot program to assist schools experiencing significant bullying incidents. Education.
This bill requires all Massachusetts public colleges and universities to accept Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores of 3, 4, or 5 for college credit toward degree requirements. Institutions may only require a higher score (e.g., 4 or 5) if the chief academic officer provides evidence it is necessary for success in related courses, and must post all credit policies online. Public institutions must submit these policies to the state department of higher education, which will post them on its website. The board of higher education will annually review these policies and report findings to the legislature by July 1, starting in 2025.
By Mr. Montigny, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 943) of Mark C. Montigny for legislation to ban discriminatory admissions practices at higher education institutions. Higher Education.
HD 357 freezes tuition and fees at public colleges and universities at the 2022-2023 level. It applies directly to students attending public institutions of higher education defined in the bill (including all state universities and colleges). The freeze begins for the 2025-2026 academic year and ends at the conclusion of the 2029-2030 academic year. This policy change prevents public colleges from raising tuition or fees above the 2022-2023 rate during this specified period.
This bill changes Massachusetts' in-state tuition eligibility rules for public colleges. It states that non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents (under federal immigration law) are no longer eligible for in-state tuition rates. The law defines "resident of the commonwealth" as requiring U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status, as specified in federal law. It also includes a specific exception for students attending the Massachusetts Maritime Academy who reside in states designated as part of the regional maritime academy region. The change directly affects undocumented immigrants and non-permanent residents seeking in-state tuition at public higher education institutions.
SD 1113 provides paid family and medical leave for all educators employed by Massachusetts school districts or education collaboratives. The bill specifically defines these educators as "covered individuals" and designates school districts as "covered employers" for leave purposes. School districts will fund their required contributions to the leave program using existing income surtax revenue (from Chapter 62), not from general operating budgets. This ensures educators can take paid leave for family or medical needs without impacting their employment benefits or health insurance coverage.
By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 557) of Carol A. Doherty and James K. Hawkins relative to excused absences from school. Education.
This bill appears to be a draft in progress with no substantive text or specific provisions provided in the available context. The title suggests it aims to improve mental health services in schools, but details about affected parties (e.g., students, schools, staff), key mechanisms, or concrete policy changes are not included. Without completed text or a functional summary, no specific policy changes or implementation details can be described. As a draft under review by House Counsel, its final content and scope remain undetermined.
The bill HD 739 is a draft (currently being worked on by House Counsel) titled "An Act to provide universal school meals to commonwealth virtual schools." Since the bill text is incomplete and labeled as a draft with no substantive details provided in the context, specific provisions, affected groups, or mechanisms cannot be described. The summary cannot be completed without the full bill text or finalized language. For a factual summary, the completed bill text would be required.
