Amendment ID: S2834-157-R1

Redraft Amendment 157

Special Commission on Racial Segregation in Housing and Public Schools

Mr. Crighton, Ms. Rausch and Mr. Montigny move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 124 the following section:-  

“SECTION 124A. (a) The executive office of housing and livable communities shall convene an advisory council to offer expertise in issues pertaining to racial segregation in housing and public schools. The council shall consist of: the chairs of the joint committee on housing, who shall serve as co-chairs; the chairs of the joint committee on education, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of housing and livable communities or a designee; the deputy secretary of housing and livable communities or a designee; the secretary of education or a designee; the commissioner of elementary and secondary education or a designee; the commissioner of early education and care or a designee; the commissioner of banks or a designee; the attorney general or a designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency or a designee; the president of the senate or a designee; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the minority leader of the house of representatives or a designee; the minority leader of the senate or a designee; the governor or a designee; 1 person with relevant subject matter expertise appointed by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus; 2 persons appointed by the commission on the status of African Americans; 2 persons appointed by the commission on the status of Latinos and Latinas; 1 person appointed by the commission on the status of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; 1 person appointed by the Massachusetts commission on Indian affairs; 1 person with relevant subject matter expertise appointed by the president of the senate; 1 person with relevant subject matter expertise appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 person with relevant subject matter expertise appointed by the governor; and 2 members of the student advisory council or designees.

(b) The council shall provide advice and recommendations to the executive office regarding policies or programs necessary to: (i) combat the causes of housing segregation and increase racial integration in cities and towns; (ii) eliminate or significantly reduce interdistrict and intradistrict racial segregation, including at the school and classroom level; and (iii) promote, as part of school integration plans, the development of racially inclusive school climates, including through: (A) culturally and racially responsive pedagogy and curricula; (B) approaches to creating safe and supportive school environments that do not rely on school discipline practices that have a disproportionately negative impact on students of color; and (C) access to racially diverse school staff, teachers and school leaders.

(c) The council shall investigate the following for purposes of determining their contribution to housing and school segregation and making policy recommendations to eliminate or significantly reduce racial segregation in housing and public schools: (i) existing state statutes and regulations; (ii) state programs that financially support prospective tenants and homeowners;(iii) state programs that finance or govern the development of affordable housing; (iv) discriminatory practices in the banking industry; (v) discriminatory practices in the real estate industry; (vi) violations and enforcement of the federal Fair Housing Act based on race; (vii) exclusionary zoning ordinances and by-laws; (viii) inadequate transportation infrastructure or access to affordable, reliable and efficient public transportation; (ix) violations and enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; (x) chapter 70 of the General Laws; (xi) chapter 70B of the General Laws; (xii) the dissolution of historic policies and practices in the commonwealth that had led to substantial increases in school integration; (xiii) public magnet schools or regional school districts; (xiv) school district practices for assigning students to schools; (xv) interdistrict and intradistrict transfer and public school choice policies; (xvi) admissions practices in selective public schools; (xvii) school district practices for determining student participation in different levels of coursework, such as ability grouping or tracking; (xviii) Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO), Inc.; and (xix) any other topics that it deems relevant to housing and school segregation.

(d) The council shall submit its report and recommendations to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on housing and the joint committee on education not later than July 31, 2025."