Education (School Safety)

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 4145: An Act establishing a commission regarding school disciplinary policies and bullying

This bill establishes a 15-member commission to study school discipline policies and bullying in Massachusetts public and charter schools serving grades K-8. The commission will examine how these policies affect student learning, safety, and mental/physical health, and make recommendations on whether new policies should be state-mandated, incentivized, model-based, or district-level. The bill also directly mandates that schools provide at least 30 minutes of supervised, unstructured outdoor recess daily (when weather permits) for K-8 students, prohibiting reductions for academic purposes or to accommodate individualized education plans. The commission must report its findings to education officials by January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes commission to study disciplinary policies/bullying and mandates 30+ min outdoor recess, aiming to improve student safety, learning environment, and health in K-8 schools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2741: An Act relative to school bus safety

This bill requires all school buses transporting students to public, charter, vocational, private, or parochial schools to have seatbelts for every seat, meeting federal safety standards. It directly affects school districts, schools, and transportation companies contracted to provide bus services. Transportation providers must file a notice with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education confirming all buses comply with the seatbelt requirement. The law takes effect one year after passage, with existing contracts needing to comply by that date.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates seatbelts on all school buses for student safety, directly protecting educational access and student welfare in school transportation.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationMandates seatbelts on school buses to meet federal safety standards, directly enhancing vehicle safety regulations in transportation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety School Transportation Public Transit Traffic Safety

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2663: An Act relative to school bullying

This bill (HD 2663) amends Massachusetts school bullying laws to strengthen prevention and response. It requires all public schools to create and update bullying prevention plans every two years, including a 30-day public comment period for draft plans (with non-public schools only notifying families). Schools must submit final plans to the school board within 30 days of updates, and the definition of bullying now explicitly includes incidents resulting in student suspensions or expulsions. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must investigate alleged bullying incidents within two years of the alleged event. These changes directly affect all public schools and their compliance with bullying prevention protocols.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens school bullying prevention by mandating updated plans, public comment, and expanding bullying definition to include suspensions/expulsions, directly enhancing student safety and school environment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 571: An Act relative to school security

This bill requires all Massachusetts cities and towns to establish a 24/7 phone line for reporting threats to school buildings and publicize it widely. It mandates that every school building must have a school resource officer present during regular school hours, accompanied by a formal agreement with the police department. School districts must implement specific policies including active shooter training for staff/students, annual safety audits of buildings, and physical security upgrades like single access points and surveillance systems. These requirements apply directly to all public schools, school districts, and local police departments across Massachusetts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates security upgrades, safety audits, and resource officers to improve school infrastructure and student safety, aligning with education infrastructure support indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3049: An Act to establish de-escalation training in student transportation

This bill requires all school bus operators to complete de-escalation training approved by the commissioner of education. It directly affects school bus operators and their employers, who must cover the training costs. The law mandates that employers pay for this training, which focuses on techniques to reduce conflicts during student transportation. The training is intended to improve safety and communication during bus operations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates de-escalation training for school bus operators to improve safety and communication during student transportation, directly enhancing student well-being and operational safety in educational settings.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates employer-paid de-escalation training to improve workplace safety for school bus operators, aligning with workplace safety protections in Labor & Employment.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationMandates de-escalation training for school bus operators to improve safety during student transportation, directly enhancing transportation safety standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety School Transportation Public Transit

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2907: An Act providing for mental health professionals in public schools

This bill requires every public school district to hire at least one full-time school psychologist and one full-time school social worker for all K-12 students. School psychologists must conduct mental health screenings, assess student needs, train staff, and recommend school environment improvements. School social workers must provide psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, therapy, and act as liaisons between families, schools, and communities. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will create rules to implement these requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates school psychologists/social workers for K-12 mental health screenings and crisis intervention, strengthening student support services and school environment per bill requirements.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates hiring school psychologists/social workers for mental health screenings, therapy, and crisis intervention, directly expanding student access to healthcare services in schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health

Track

passed · Massachusetts · House Feb 27, 2025

HD 4089: An Act to promote safe firearm storage education and increase the well-being of students

By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 548) of Marjorie C. Decker and Michelle L. Badger relative to firearm storage education. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationPromotes firearm storage education in schools to enhance student well-being, directly advancing educational initiatives within K-12 settings.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

Track

passed · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 4, 2025

S 434: An Act relative to the enforcement of anti-bullying policies in our schools

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes anti-bullying officer pilot program to strengthen school safety policies, directly supporting student well-being in K-12 education environment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health

Track

passed · Massachusetts · House Sep 2, 2025

H 4060: An Act establishing a commission regarding school disciplinary policies and bullying

By Representative Scanlon of North Attleborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4060) of Adam J. Scanlon relative to recess at schools and for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to student discipline and bullying. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes commission to investigate school discipline and bullying, directly addressing education policy to improve school environment and safety.80% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health

Track

in committee · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 8, 2025

S 542: An Act to ensure the health and safety of the commonwealth’s students and educators

By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 542) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation to ensure the health and safety of the commonwealth’s students and educators. Emergency Preparedness and Management.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill ensures health and safety of students and educators, directly aligning with protective support indicators for educational environment.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health

Track