Education

passed · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 4, 2025

S 319: An Act relative to access for after school and out-of-school time programs

By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 319) of Brendan P. Crighton for legislation to access after school and out-of-school time programs. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly aims to improve access to after-school programs, expanding educational opportunities for students outside regular school hours.90% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · House May 23, 2025

H 709: An Act increasing efficiency and sustainability of student transportation

HD 835 requires school committees to consider purchasing monthly public transit passes for students as an alternative to traditional school bus contracts before advertising for or inviting bids for transportation services. This applies to all school committees in the state and aims to increase efficiency and sustainability by leveraging existing public transit systems. Committees must follow procedures outlined in Chapter 161A, Section 5 for transit pass purchases. The bill shifts initial planning toward public transit options without mandating their use, focusing on cost and environmental efficiency.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill improves student transportation efficiency, supporting educational access. Categorized under Education in summary.80% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill explicitly targets student transportation efficiency and sustainability, aligning with promoting sustainable transit solutions in transportation infrastructure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Transportation

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 4, 2025

S 360: An Act relative to school start times for middle and high school students

By Mr. Fernandes (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 360) of Zorianna Petrosyan, for legislation relative to school start times for middle and high school students. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill proposes later school start times for middle/high schools to improve student health and academic performance, aligning with educational best practices focused on student outcomes.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jun 23, 2025

S 950: An Act to advance fairness, integrity, and excellence in higher education admissions

This bill requires all 4-year degree-granting colleges and universities in the state to annually report detailed admissions data to the attorney general and higher education department. Institutions must disclose whether they use legacy preferences, donor relationships, or early decision/early action policies, and provide disaggregated enrollment statistics broken down by race, financial aid status, and admission pathway. The law prohibits institutions from considering legacy status, donor relationships, or using early decision policies without paying a public service fee calculated based on their endowment size (ranging from 0.01% to 0.2% of endowment). Non-compliant institutions face fees deposited into a Higher Education Opportunity Trust Fund supporting public community colleges and state universities. The bill aims to increase transparency around admissions practices while using financial penalties to enforce accountability.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates annual admissions reporting to promote fairness/integrity in higher education, directly advancing institutional accountability and excellence per its title and summary.95% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jan 22, 2026

S 1721: An Act An Act to ensure educational rights are upheld for incarcerated youth

By Ms. Miranda, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1721) of Liz Miranda for legislation to ensure educational rights are upheld for incarcerated emerging adults. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly ensures educational rights for incarcerated youth, protecting access to education in correctional settings.95% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jun 23, 2025

S 928: An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education

SD 38 bans legacy preferences in Massachusetts public higher education admissions. It prohibits public universities (including the University of Massachusetts and state universities) and degree-granting institutions in the Commonwealth from considering an applicant's familial relationship to a graduate when making admission decisions. The bill also requires institutions to remove any mention of relatives' college attendance from admission documents. These changes take effect for the 2026-2027 school year. The policy directly affects applicants to these institutions by eliminating a factor that previously gave preference to students with family ties to alumni.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBans legacy preferences in higher education admissions, promoting equitable access and reducing barriers for applicants in college admissions.90% confidence

Track

passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jun 23, 2025

S 932: An Act relative to admissions requirements to institutions of higher education

By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 932) of Adam Gomez for legislation to allow the department of higher education to review the practice of requiring applicants to take a standardized college entrance aptitude test to gain admittance to an undergraduate degree program at a public institution of higher education. Higher Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill proposes reviewing standardized test requirements for higher ed admissions, potentially expanding access to public institutions by removing barriers.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Feb 9, 2026

S 380: An Act requiring accountability for inequities in suspension and expulsion or RAISE Act

By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 380) of Patricia D. Jehlen and James B. Eldridge for legislation to establish statewide targets for addressing persistent disparities in achievement and suspension and expulsion in public schools. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes statewide targets to address racial disparities in school suspensions and achievement, advancing educational equity in K-12 schools.95% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Feb 9, 2026

S 359: An Act promoting healthy culture and climate within schools

By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 359) of Paul R. Feeney for legislation to promote a healthy culture and climate within schools. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill promotes healthy school culture/climate, directly supporting educational environment and student well-being under education policy, aligning with topic's focus on school climate and access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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passed · Massachusetts · House Jun 25, 2025

H 724: An Act establishing a commission on school segregation

HD 619 establishes a 20-member commission to study school segregation in Massachusetts. The commission will assess current and historical segregation patterns, review integration programs, identify successful models from other states, and pinpoint legal barriers to integration. It must develop policy recommendations prioritizing educational equity in disadvantaged communities and hold at least five public hearings across the state, including in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. The commission must submit its final report with recommendations to the legislature within one year of its first meeting. This bill directly affects Massachusetts public schools and communities experiencing segregation by creating a structured process to address systemic inequities.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates commission to address school segregation, directly targeting educational equity and access in K-12 systems, aligning with support indicators.90% confidence

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