HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3788        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1226

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and Harriette L. Chandler

_________________

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 ensuring students' access to academic transcripts.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/18/2019

Harriette L. Chandler

First Worcester

1/18/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/31/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2019

Stephan Hay

3rd Worcester

2/1/2019

Kathleen R. LaNatra

12th Plymouth

1/31/2019

Rady Mom

18th Middlesex

1/28/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

2/1/2019

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

1/30/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

1/29/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3788        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1226

By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester and Senator Chandler, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1226) of David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf, Harriette L. Chandler and others relative to students' access to academic transcripts at institutions of higher education.  Higher Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act ensuring students' access to academic transcripts.

 

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 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 19E the following section:-

Section 19F.

(a) Institutions of higher education shall not withhold a student's academic transcripts solely due to that student's failure to pay any loan payments, fines, fees, tuition, or other expenses owed to the institution, except that a student's academic credits and grades may be withheld for any course for which that student's tuition and mandatory course fees are not paid in full. For students paying on a per semester basis, such an institution may withhold a student’s academic credits or grades for any course taken in a semester for which that student’s tuition and mandatory course fees have not been paid.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an institution of higher education from withholding a student's diploma or degree due to that student's failure to pay any loan payments, fines, fees, tuition, or other expenses owed to the institution.

(c) This section shall apply to all postsecondary institutions including: (i) the system of public institutions of higher education, established in section 5; (ii) private occupational schools, as defined in section 263 of chapter 112; and (iii) private colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning.

(d)The department of higher education shall promulgate regulations consistent with this section necessary for its implementation.