HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 737 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1449
|
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf
_________________
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 ensuring students' access to academic transcripts.
_______________
PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf | 17th Worcester | 1/13/2025 |
Carmine Lawrence Gentile | 13th Middlesex | 2/12/2025 |
Tram T. Nguyen | 18th Essex | 2/12/2025 |
Kristin E. Kassner | 2nd Essex | 2/12/2025 |
Rodney M. Elliott | 16th Middlesex | 11/16/2025 |
Patrick Joseph Kearney | 4th Plymouth | 2/11/2025 |
Margaret R. Scarsdale | 1st Middlesex | 3/3/2025 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 737 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1449
By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1449) of David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and others relative to students' access to academic transcripts at institutions of higher education. Higher Education. |
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1277 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act ensuring students' access to academic transcripts.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 19E the following section:-
Section 19F.
(a) Institutions of higher education shall not withhold a student's academic transcripts solely due to that student's failure to pay any loan payments, fines, fees, tuition, or other expenses owed to the institution, except that a student's academic credits and grades may be withheld for any course for which that student's tuition and mandatory course fees are not paid in full. For students paying on a per semester basis, such an institution may withhold a student’s academic credits or grades for any course taken in a semester for which that student’s tuition and mandatory course fees have not been paid.
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an institution of higher education from withholding a student's diploma or degree due to that student's failure to pay any loan payments, fines, fees, tuition, or other expenses owed to the institution.
(c) This section shall apply to all postsecondary institutions including: (i) the system of public institutions of higher education, established in section 5; (ii) private occupational schools, as defined in section 263 of chapter 112; and (iii) private colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning.
(d) The department of higher education shall promulgate regulations consistent with this section necessary for its implementation.