HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4733        FILED ON: 4/3/2018

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Juana B. Matias

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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 promoting alternatives to school suspension.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4733        FILED ON: 4/3/2018

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act promoting alternatives to school suspension.

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

Subsection (b) of section 37H3/4 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following 2 paragraphs:-

Suspension, including but not limited to supervised suspension, shall be imposed only after alternative disciplinary action has been taken and documented by the principal or headmaster, and the superintendent determines that such action failed to bring about proper conduct. Alternative disciplinary action shall include, but shall not be limited to, a positive behavior support approach with tiered interventions that occurs during the school day on campus, using any of the following methods:-

(i) conferences between school personnel, parents, and pupils;

(ii) referrals to the school counselor, psychologist, social worker, child welfare attendance personnel, or other school support service personnel for case management and counseling;

(iii) study teams, guidance teams, resource panel teams, or other intervention-related teams that assess the root causes of the behavior, and develop and implement individualized plans to address the behavior in partnership with the pupil and his or her parents;

(iv) referral for a comprehensive psychosocial or psychoeducational assessment, including for purposes of creating an individualized education program, or a plan adopted pursuant to section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 794(a);

(v) enrollment in a program for teaching prosocial behavior or anger management; or

(vi) participation in a restorative justice program.

Suspensions pursuant to this section shall be in-school suspensions, unless the administration determines that the pupil being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that the pupil shall be excluded from school during the period of suspension.