HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2700        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 634

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

_________________

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 relative to an educational unfunded mandate task force.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

2/18/2021

Bradford Hill

4th Essex

2/18/2021

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

2/25/2021

Alyson M. Sullivan

7th Plymouth

2/26/2021

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

3/11/2021

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

3/18/2021

Kelly W. Pease

4th Hampden

3/18/2021

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

3/23/2021

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

3/31/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2700        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 634

By Mr. Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 634) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others for legislation to provide for investigation by a task force (including members of the General Court) relative to the state mandates placed on public schools and districts.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act relative to an educational unfunded mandate task force.

 

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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be an educational mandate task force to review existing state mandates placed on public schools and districts in the Commonwealth. The task force shall consist of 11 members: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, or their designees, who shall serve as the co-chairs of the task force; a member of the general court appointed by the senate minority leader; a member of the general court appointed by the house minority leader; the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, or a designee; and 6 persons to be appointed by the secretary of education, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Association, and 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Administrators of Special Education.

SECTION 2. The task force shall: (i) identify and review the state laws, regulations, and administrative directives that prescribe requirements for school districts, including those that require school districts to prepare and submit reports and data to the department of elementary and secondary education (ii) develop recommendations to streamline, consolidate, or eliminate such mandates or reporting requirements that are not fully funded and (iii) determine the total estimated cost of  said unfunded mandates on municipalities to consider those figures in the annual fiscal year budget.

SECTION 3. The first meeting of the task force shall take place within 60 days of the effective date of this act. The task force shall file a report containing its findings and recommendations, including legislative recommendations, if any, with the clerks of the house and senate not later than 12 months following the first meeting of the task force. Prior to issuing its recommendations, the task force shall conduct at least one public hearing to receive testimony from members of the public.