SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1764        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 277

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bruce E. Tarr

_________________

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 relative to empowering vocational schools.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

Robert L. Hedlund

Plymouth and Norfolk


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1764        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 277

By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 277) of Bruce E. Tarr and Robert L. Hedlund for legislation relative to empowering vocational schools.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An act relative to empowering vocational schools.

 

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. Subsection (a) of section 13 of chapter 13 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking, in line 1, the figure "17" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 18

SECTION 2. Subsection (a) of section 13 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking, in line 8, the word "consumers." and inserting in place thereof the following words:-

consumers; and a vocational-technical licensed practical nursing educator or administrator who shall be selected from a group of 3 nominees, to be nominated by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators.

SECTION 3.  Section 32 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking, in line 4, the word "eight" and inserting in place thereof the following word:- nine

SECTION 4. Section 32 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "forty-one.", in line 8, the following sentence:- One of the appointees shall be a vocational-technical electrical educator or administrator, who shall be selected from a group of three nominees, to be nominated by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators.

SECTION 5.  Section 36 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking, in line 3, the word "nine" and inserting in place thereof the following word:- ten

SECTION 6. Section 36 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 16, after the word “systems,” the following words:- one of whom shall be a vocational-technical plumbing educator or administrator who shall be selected from a group of three nominees to be nominated by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators,

SECTION 7. Section 42 of said chapter 13, as so appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking, in line 2, the word "seven" and inserting in place thereof the following word:- eight

SECTION 8. Section 42 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking, in line 35, the word "and".

SECTION 9. Section 42 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking, in line 36, the word "cosmetology" and inserting in place thereof the following words:-

cosmetology; and (c) one member shall be a vocational-technical cosmetology educator or administrator who shall be selected from a group of three nominees, to be nominated by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators.

SECTION 10.  Section 101 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking, in line 4, the figure "5" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 6

SECTION 11. Subsection (a) of section 101 of said chapter 13, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting, after the word “work,” in line 9 the following words:- , 1 of whom shall be a vocational-technical sheet metal educator or administrator who shall be selected from a group of three nominees, to be nominated by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators,

SECTION 12.  Section 21 of chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after the second paragraph, the following:-

For those public institutions of higher learning named in clause (iii) of section 5 of this chapter, each community college’s board of trustees shall designate a member or members to serve as a non-voting member of the district trustees for vocational-technical schools that share the same geographic region as the community college, provided that the board elementary and secondary education shall promulgate regulations to ensure that each vocational-technical school board of trustees is represented by a member from every community college in the region.  The designated member shall serve as a liaison between the two boards for the purposes of sharing information and developing policies that will promote greater interaction between the community college and the vocational-technical school while maximizing the educational resources available to individuals seeking to learn a trade or develop targeted employment skills.

SECTION 13.  Section 21 of chapter 15A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the sixth paragraph the following paragraph:-

Each community college board of trustees shall also include a vocational school district trustee, pursuant to section 4 of chapter 74, representing a vocational-technical school in the region, to serve as a non-voting member.

SECTION 14.  Chapter 21A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after section 41 the following section:-

Each community college board of trustees shall submit an annual report developed in conjunction with the district trustees and advisory committees of vocational-technical schools in the same geographic region as the community college, pursuant to geographic region determinations made by the board of higher education.  Said report shall be developed in conjunction with employers, local workforce investment boards and regional economic stakeholders.  The report shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the collaboration between the community college and regional vocational-technical schools and the training and job development programs implemented by the community college and regional vocational-technical schools.  Copies of said report shall be filed with the board of higher education and the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on labor and workforce development not later than March 31, annually.

SECTION 15. Section 1 of chapter 74 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the definition of “service programs” contained in lines 43 to 44, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-

“Service programs”, the preparation of students in occupational areas such as hotel and lodging, cosmetology, child care or any service occupation that by its nature is characterized as being a service, professional or non-professional.  Such programs shall be in compliance with the program approval criteria regulations published by the state board.

SECTION 16.  Section 4 of chapter 74 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:-

Pursuant to section 21 of chapter 15A of the General Laws, one member of said board shall be designated by the district trustees to serve as a non-voting member of the board of trustees for any community college that shares the same geographic region as the independent vocational-technical school, provided that the board of higher education promulgate regulations to ensure that each community college board of trustees is represented by a member of every vocational-technical school in the same geographic region as the community college.  The designated member shall serve as a liaison between the two boards for the purposes of sharing information and developing policies that will promote greater interaction between the vocational-technical school and the community college while maximizing the educational resources available to individuals seeking to learn a trade or develop targeted employment skills.

SECTION 17.  Section 6 of chapter 74 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 5, after the word “program,” the following

words:-

“representatives from the board of trustees of community colleges in the region,”. 

SECTION 18.  Chapter 74 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 55 the following sections:-

Section 56. The district trustees shall establish a program, in collaboration with the advisory committee, the director of the department of career services and a representative of the local workforce investment board, to expand not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction provided through contracts with Massachusetts employers.  The program shall allow interested business partners to sponsor a prospective or current employee for training provided by the vocational school at the expense of the employer.  Each vocational school shall report not later than December 31, annually, to the commissioner of education on the level of not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction provided in the preceding fiscal year and the anticipated level of such instruction in the current fiscal year. The report shall detail enrollment levels, revenues received, sources of revenues, recruitment tools, the number of service contracts established with Massachusetts employers and such other information as the commissioner may require.  The commissioner shall prepare a comprehensive report of the information and present copies of which to the board of higher education and the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on labor and workforce development not later than March 31, annually.