Education

passed · Massachusetts · House Sep 15, 2025

H 524: An Act to require school attendance up to age 18 or until graduation

HD 1263 requires all students in Massachusetts to attend school until age 18 or until they graduate high school, earn a high school equivalency diploma, or complete the twelfth grade - whichever comes first. It explicitly prohibits criminal penalties for students over 16 who miss school before meeting this requirement. The bill also establishes a High School Graduation Commission to study barriers to graduation and recommend solutions, including identifying at-risk students and improving support services. The commission must report its findings within six months of the law's effective date, focusing on factors like attendance, academic gaps, and emotional needs. This law takes effect for the next school year after passage.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates school attendance until age 18 or graduation, directly expanding educational access and completion rates without restrictions or defunding.90% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · House Jan 7, 2026

H 1454: An Act to modernize the endowment match program for community colleges

This bill modernizes how community colleges receive state matching funds for donations. It allows community colleges to get matching funds for any donations to their foundations - whether the money is used for endowments or capital projects like building repairs. The bill also clarifies that community colleges are excluded from provisions meant for private colleges by removing the word "Private" from a related section. These changes take effect immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationModernizes endowment match program for community colleges, enhancing funding mechanisms for higher education institutions per bill title and summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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passed · Massachusetts · House Sep 2, 2025

H 4060: 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 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

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in committee · Massachusetts · Senate Sep 22, 2025

S 2610: An Act relative to recovery high schools

Senate, September 22, 2025 -- The committee on Education to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 406) of Joan B. Lovely for legislation relative to recovery high schools, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2610).

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes recovery high schools, a specialized educational program for students in substance use recovery, expanding access to tailored education for vulnerable youth.95% confidence

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in committee · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 8, 2025

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

This bill (SD 173) sets mandatory ventilation standards for all public and private K-12 school buildings in Massachusetts to protect students and staff. It requires schools to meet one of three specific ventilation measures (e.g., 4 air changes per hour of fresh air, 20 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per person, or CO2 levels below 800 ppm) and maintain indoor humidity between 40-60% during pandemics. During declared pandemics, schools must reduce airborne disease transmission risk by 95% using fresh air, portable air cleaners, or advanced technologies like UVGI, while also providing required PPE and cleaning supplies. Local education authorities must assess all school ventilation systems within 18 months and publicly report results, with full compliance required within two years of the law's effective date.

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

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passed · Massachusetts · House Sep 30, 2025

H 4198: An Act to promote fairness between traditional public schools and regional vocational schools

By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Colleen M. Garry for legislation to establish parity in funding for regional vocational school districts and traditional public school districts. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill seeks funding parity between vocational and traditional public schools, directly advancing equitable school funding as a core education policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education

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passed · Massachusetts · House Sep 30, 2025

H 676: An Act studying the financing of chapter 74 vocational-technical and agricultural school capital improvements

By Representatives Ramos of North Andover and Shand of Newburyport, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 676) of Adrianne Pusateri Ramos and Dawne Shand that the Executive Office of Education study the financing of capital improvements in facilities providing primarily vocational-technical education or agricultural education. Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill studies financing for vocational school capital improvements, directly advancing infrastructure funding for educational facilities.92% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 4, 2025

S 1900: An Act relative to non-public school service

By Mr. Rush, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1900) of Michael F. Rush and John J. Cronin for legislation relative to creditable service for retirement purposes for non-public school service. Public Service.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides retirement credit for non-public school teachers, supporting educator benefits within education policy.85% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Feb 9, 2026

S 387: An Act relative to safer schools

This bill modifies Massachusetts school safety policies by restricting school resource officers (SROs) to only address serious criminal conduct (like violence or property damage), prohibiting them from handling routine discipline or non-violent disruptions. It requires school districts to annually report detailed data on student interactions with SROs (including arrests and referrals) and budgets for mental health support, with public disclosure of this information. Additionally, the bill creates grants for schools to adopt "holistic school health and safety practices" that avoid law enforcement involvement, such as restorative justice programs and relationship-building initiatives. These changes directly affect all public school districts, charter schools, and regional districts in Massachusetts, aiming to shift safety approaches away from punitive measures.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts SROs to serious crimes only, mandates transparency in school interactions, and reduces non-violent arrests, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRestricts SROs to serious crimes and mandates mental health budgets/data reporting, enhancing school safety and student well-being in K-12 education.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health

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passed · Massachusetts · House Oct 15, 2025

H 259: An Act relative to educational support for children in foster care

This bill requires Massachusetts' Department of Children and Families to review and improve policies supporting foster children's education. It mandates the department to create clear rules for foster parents, social workers, and schools about educational responsibilities, streamline procedures for department offices, and establish a training program for new foster parents. The department must also develop systems to track each child's education and share records easily with authorized decision-makers. Finally, it requires an annual report with education data for all foster children, submitted to state leaders and committees. The bill directly affects foster children, foster parents, social workers, schools, and the departments managing foster care.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides educational support for foster care children, directly advancing access and support for a vulnerable student group.95% confidence

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