Rep. Adam Scanlon

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new funding tool within the Massachusetts School Building Authority to invest in vocational-technical education programs and regional schools. It allocates $3 billion to replace or renovate school infrastructure and purchase critical training equipment to better prepare students for industry-relevant careers. The legislation also adjusts reimbursement rates for these projects, allowing the state to cover between 75% and 90% of eligible construction costs, with higher rates available for schools that align with regional workforce needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special commission to evaluate how well the Massachusetts School Building Authority meets the state's needs for school construction and renovation. The commission will be composed of representatives from the legislature, executive agencies, and various education and construction organizations. Its main task is to review the current funding formulas and policies to ensure they are fair, cost-effective, and support healthy, green school environments. The group must submit its findings and recommendations to state officials by December 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires local approval from towns or school districts before a state-funded charter school can receive public money. It defines local approval as either a vote by an elected school committee, a town meeting vote, or a city council and mayor vote. If a charter school application lacks this local consent, the state board must fund it entirely without using local tax dollars. The law applies only to new charter school applications submitted after the bill becomes effective.

March , 2024 -- The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 292) of Patricia D. Jehlen, Joanne M. Comerford and Robyn K. Kennedy for legislation relative to the financial impact of charter schools; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 302) of Jason M. Lewis for legislation to strengthen the evaluation process for proposed new charter schools; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 304) of Jason M. Lewis for legislation relative to the net school spending cap; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 320) of Michael O. Moore and Adam Scanlon for legislation relative to local approval for charter schools; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 321) of Susan L. Moran, Vanna Howard and James B. Eldridge for legislation to ensure charter school transparency and public accountability; and (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 352) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation relative to ensure the integrity of charter schools, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2662).

March , 2024 -- The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 256) of John J. Cronin, Manny Cruz and John Barrett, III for legislation to create and expand student pathways to success; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 274) of Paul R. Feeney, Jacob R. Oliveira, Adam Scanlon, Susan Williams Gifford and other members of the General Court for legislation to improve access, opportunity, and capacity in Massachusetts vocational-technical education; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 297) of Edward J. Kennedy and Joanne M. Comerford for legislation to expand dual enrollment for high school students in Gateway Cities; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 306) of Jason M. Lewis, Michael O. Moore, Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Patricia D. Jehlen for legislation relative increase student access to career technical education schools and programs which are aligned with regional labor market needs; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 334) of Jacob R. Oliveira, Jeffrey N. Roy and Michael J. Barrett for legislation to expand high school student access to earn industry recognized credentials; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 361) of John C. Velis for legislation to expand high school student access to earn industry recognized credentials; and (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 362) of John C. Velis and Kelly W. Pease for legislation to expand dual enrollment for high school students in Gateway Cities, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2664).

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special commission to evaluate how well the Massachusetts School Building Authority meets the state's current and future needs for school facilities. The commission will be composed of representatives from the legislature, the governor's office, state agencies, and various education and construction organizations. Its main task is to study the fairness of the funding formula and review specific policies regarding construction costs, environmental goals, and reimbursement rates to ensure all communities can access quality school buildings.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to protect consumer privacy by regulating how lenders and brokers use information from mortgage applications. It specifically addresses "mortgage trigger leads," which are consumer reports generated when a person applies for credit, and prohibits their use to solicit other loans without proper disclosure. The legislation defines several unfair practices, such as failing to clearly state that a solicitor is not affiliated with the original lender, using purchased data without the applicant's knowledge, or contacting individuals who have opted out of such offers. Additionally, it bans calling consumers who are on federal or state Do Not Call lists based on this information. To enforce these rules, the Attorney General is authorized to create regulations that detail how these privacy protections must be implemented.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts state law to allow Special Education Collaboratives to apply for school building assistance funds. Currently, only cities, towns, regional school districts, and independent agricultural or technical schools are eligible to receive these funds. By adding "Collaborative" to the list of eligible applicants, the legislation enables these specific organizations to seek financial support for constructing or renovating school facilities. The change directly impacts Special Education Collaboratives in the state, giving them the same funding access as other local educational entities.

By Representative Hogan of Stow and Senator Cyr, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2197) of Kate Hogan, Julian Cyr and others for legislation to protect public health from PFAS. Public Health.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a PFAS Remediation Trust Fund to help Massachusetts residents and local governments address contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water, groundwater, and soil. The fund is designed to cover remediation costs for municipalities, private well owners, and public water systems without requiring additional annual appropriations from the state budget. Money for the fund will come from settlements related to claims against manufacturers of PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foam, and any unused funds at the end of a fiscal year will roll over to the next year. The executive office of energy and environmental affairs is responsible for administering the fund and ensuring expenditures align with existing legal settlements.