Amendment #513 to H4400

Private School Tuition Deduction

Representatives Jones of North Reading, Hill of Ipswich, Poirier of North Attleborough, Gifford of Wareham, Frost of Auburn and Smola of Warren move to amend the bill by adding the following section:

“Section XX. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special task force to review and report on private school tuition deduction programs and their applicability in Massachusetts. The task force shall consist of 9 members: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, 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 the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, or a designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Secondary School Principals, or a designee; the president of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), or a designee; and the president of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, or a designee.

This task force shall: (i) identify and review the state laws, regulations, and administrative directives that prescribe private school tuition deduction; (ii) identify initiatives and hear testimony from professionals in other states that pursue policy related to private school tuition deductions; (iii) establish criteria for eligibility into any tuition deduction program; (iv) develop recommendations to establish legislative procedures to provide funding, regulate, and grant tuition deductions to eligible applicants.

The task force shall submit a report, including any draft legislation and regulations, to the clerks of the house and representatives and the senate within 12 months of the passage of this act.