SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1096        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 691

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Eric P. Lesser

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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 access to higher education beginning at birth.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1096        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 691

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 access to higher education beginning at birth.

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. In order to encourage every child in Massachusetts to seek higher education and to encourage residents of Massachusetts to stay in the commonwealth, there shall be established and set on the books of the commonwealth a program for investment by the commonwealth in the future college education of all newly born residents. The commonwealth shall deposit in a separate account to be maintained by the Massachusetts education financing authority or in the Massachusetts UFund, the sum of $5,000 for each child born in Massachusetts to Massachusetts residents, and said $5,000 will be accessible for use by each child for payment used for admission to an institution of higher education in Massachusetts. Exceptions will be defined by the department of revenue according to their current exceptions. There will be no tax implications on this initial deposit. Additional deposits to this fund are allowed and will have the same federal and state tax implications as the Massachusetts UFund.