SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1529        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 821

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Lydia Edwards

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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 banning legacy preferences in higher education.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1529        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 821

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education.

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

An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education

SECTION 1. Section 9 of Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fourth paragraph the following:

For purposes of this paragraph, a public higher education institution shall mean a school in the University of Massachusetts segment or in the state university segment of the system of public institutions of higher education established in section 5 of chapter 15A. When deciding whether to grant admission to an applicant, a public higher education institution shall not consider the applicant’s familial relationship to a graduate of the institution. A public higher education institution shall not include in the documents that it uses to consider an applicant for admission information that discloses the name of any college or university that any relative of the applicant attended.

SECTION 2. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 30A the following:

Section 30B.  When deciding whether to grant admission to an applicant, a degree-granting institution of higher education located in the commonwealth authorized to grant degrees by the board of higher education shall not consider the applicant’s familial relationship to a graduate of the institution. Such institution shall not include in the documents that it uses to consider an applicant for admission information that discloses the name of any college or university that any relative of the applicant attended.

SECTION 3. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect for admission decisions that lead to an applicant’s initial enrollment in a public higher education institution in the 2024-2025 school year.