HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4424

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 20, 2020.

The committee on Higher Education, to whom was referred the 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, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4424) ought to pass.

For the committee,

JEFFREY N. ROY.

        FILED ON: 2/4/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4424

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 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 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 19F. (a) Institutions of higher education shall not withhold a student’s unofficial academic transcript solely due to the 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 the student’s tuition and mandatory courses fees are not paid in full.  For students paying on a per semester basis, an institution may withhold a student’s academic credits or grades for any course taken in a semester for which the student’s tuition and mandatory course fees have not been paid.