HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4423

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 20, 2020.

The committee on Higher Education to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1206) of Paul Brodeur and others relative to advance placement examinations and post-secondary level course credit, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4423) ought to pass.

For the committee,

JEFFREY N. ROY.

        FILED ON: 2/4/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4423

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act relative to advance placement examinations.

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 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 39 the following section:-

Section 39A. (a) All public institutions of higher education, as set forth in section 5, shall develop written procedures for accepting certain scores on the College Board’s advanced placement examinations for credit to satisfy degree requirements.  The policies shall indicate whether credit will be granted for general education, major, or elective requirements at the institution, and shall include procedures related to the transferability of these credits to another institution of higher education. 

(b)  All policies and procedures governing the award of credit shall be posted on the institution’s website under the category of admission, which the institution shall update as necessary to reflect any changes in policies and procedures.  In addition, each institution shall submit its policies and procedures, or any changes thereto, to the department of higher education who shall post each institution’s policies and procedures, on the department’s website.

(c) The board of higher education, and in the case of the University of Massachusetts,  in cooperation with the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts, shall annually review the advanced placement examination score course granting policies of each institution of higher education in accordance with the requirements of this section, and report its findings and any recommendations with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, and the chairs of the joint committee on higher education not later than July 1. Each institution of higher education shall provide the board of higher education, and in the case of the University of Massachusetts, its board of trustees, with all necessary data, in accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, to conduct the analysis.

SECTION 2.  The first annual report required by subsection (c) of section 39A of chapter 15A of the General Laws shall be published not later than July 1, 2021.

SECTION 3. Section 1 shall take effect no later than 3 months after the effective date of this act.