SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1140        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 379

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Patrick M. O'Connor

_________________

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 creating a special commission to study classroom temperatures.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1140        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 379

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 530 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

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

_______________

An Act creating a special commission to study classroom temperatures.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary there shall be a special commission to study the regulation of minimum and maximum allowable air temperatures in public school classrooms and facilities, as well as any relevant statistics on the number of air-conditioned public schools in Massachusetts, the impact of indoor air quality on children, including, but not limited to, children with respiratory conditions or special needs, and the Commonwealth’s state funding and bidding processes for installing air conditioning and heating upgrades in public schools.

The special commission shall consist of: the secretary of the executive office of education, or their designee, who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education, or their designee; the commissioner of the department of public health, or their designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority; a representative of the Massachusetts Teachers Association; a representative of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees; a representative of the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association; two teachers, selected by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, who have experienced difficulties with classroom temperatures; a school nurse, selected by the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization; the president of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, or their designee; two members of the House of Representatives, one of whom to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the other to be appointed by the minority leader; two members of the Senate, one of whom to be appointed by the President of the Senate, and the other to be appointed by the minority leader.  The chair shall commence first meeting of the commission not later than December 1, 2022.

The special commission shall submit its findings and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation, to the clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the chairs of the joint committee on education not later than December 1, 2023.