Until such time as the Governor orders that public and private schools in the Commonwealth shall reopen, Section 56 of Chapter 41 of the Massachusetts General Laws is hereby temporarily suspended in order that school districts may continue to honor existing vendor contracts pertaining to school transportation, food services, and certain other contracts that are deemed essential by the superintendent of schools in the school district; provided that school transportation vendors and food service vendors maintain the same number of employees that they employed prior to the public health crisis and state of emergency. 

If the vendor has reduced the number of employees through furloughs or layoffs due to the state of emergency and the closing of schools, school districts and/or municipalities are not required to pay the vendor for the employees who have been furloughed or laid off. The number of employees that a vendor employs pursuant to a contract with a school district or municipality shall be verified by the vendor on a bi-weekly basis, 

This act shall sunset with the lifting of the state of emergency and the resumption of school in the Commonwealth.