SENATE DOCKET, NO. 601        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 576

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Karen E. Spilka

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to promote higher education among employees of human services provider organizations..

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 601        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 576

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 614 OF 2009-2010.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act to promote higher education among employees of human services provider organizations..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

                SECTION 1.   Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 19D the following new section:-

                Section 19 F. The board of higher education, in exercising its powers under section 4 of Chapter 15A shall by no later than 180 after the effective date of this act establish a program of tuition remission pursuant to which persons employed by providers of social services programs that hold contracts with the commonwealth, and spouses of those persons, are provided tuition remission benefits for courses or programs taken at any public community college or state college or the University of Massachusetts. Tuition remission benefits provided to such persons and their spouses shall be on parity, as nearly as possible, with tuition remission benefits provided to employees of the commonwealth and their spouses.  For purposes of this act, the term “social services programs" shall have the meaning specified in section 274 of chapter 110 of the acts of 1993, as amended.  In developing such programs of tuition remission benefits, the board of higher education and the administrator of the current tuition remission program operated by the Massachusetts Council of Human Services Providers, Inc. shall consult with the secretary of health and human services and the secretary of elder affairs.