SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2536
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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SENATE, June 23, 2025.
The committee on Higher Education to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 944) of Michael O. Moore for legislation relative to advance placement examinations to satisfy degree requirements, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2536).
For the committee,
Joanne M. Comerford
FILED ON: 6/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2536
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to advanced placement examinations.
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. Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 39 the following section:-
Section 39A. (a) All public institutions of higher education, as set forth in section 5, shall develop and adopt written policies and procedures to accept a score of 3, 4 and 5 on all advanced placement examinations to satisfy degree requirements. The policies shall indicate whether the credit shall be granted for general education, major or elective requirements at the institution, and shall include procedures related to the transferability of these credits to another institution of higher education. An institution may not require an exam score of more than 3 unless the chief academic officer provides evidence that the higher score is necessary for a student to be successful in a related or more advanced course for which the lower-division course is a prerequisite. The department may permit said evidence to remain valid across successive academic years, provided that the institution’s course content, policies and procedures governing the award of credit and the relevant advanced placement course’s content remain substantially unchanged. The department of higher education shall develop and provide guidance on what constitutes evidence for an institution to require an examination score of more than 3 and a standard form for submitting said evidence, provided that guidance relating to the University of Massachusetts shall be developed in coordination with the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts.
(b) All policies and procedures governing the award of credit shall be posted on the institution’s website under the category of admission, which the institution shall update as necessary to reflect any changes in policies and procedures. In addition, each institution shall submit its policies and procedures, or any changes thereto, to the department of higher education who shall post each institution’s policies and procedures, or changes thereto, on the department’s website.
(c) The board of higher education, and in the case of the University of Massachusetts, in cooperation with the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts, shall annually review the advanced placement examination score course granting policies of each institution of higher education and any evidence supporting policies requiring scores above 3 in accordance with the requirements of this section, and report its findings, evidence supporting policies requiring scores above 3 and any recommendations with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, and the chairs of the joint committee on higher education not later than July 1. Each institution of higher education shall provide the board of higher education, and in the case of the University of Massachusetts, its board of trustees, with all necessary data, in accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, to conduct the analysis.
SECTION 2. The first annual report required by subsection (c) of section 39A of chapter 15A of the General Laws shall be published not later than July 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. The department shall determine when section 1 shall take effect, but it shall be no later than one year after enactment.