HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1207        FILED ON: 2/2/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 640

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Hannah Kane

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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 establishing an educational mandate task force.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1207        FILED ON: 2/2/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 640

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 510 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act establishing an educational 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.  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.

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) identify the state laws that require the department of elementary and secondary education to submit reports to the legislature based on information it must obtain from school districts; and (iii) develop recommendations to streamline, consolidate, or eliminate such mandates or reporting requirements that are outdated, or duplicative of or inconsistent with current laws, regulations or practices. In developing its recommendations, the task force shall consider the feasibility of creating a single master reporting form to prevent duplicate information from being reported by school districts more than once yearly. Such recommendations shall also include a process for ensuring that new state laws or regulations do not duplicate existing reporting requirements.

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 than12 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.