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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3617 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 440
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Antonio F. D. Cabral
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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 for equitable workforce development.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol1/20/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/26/2023Christopher Hendricks11th Bristol1/26/2023Paul A. Schmid, III8th Bristol2/1/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/1/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/3/2023Mark C. MontignySecond Bristol and Plymouth2/3/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex2/3/2023Bud L. Williams11th Hampden2/3/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol2/6/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk2/8/2023Kay Khan11th Middlesex2/9/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/9/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/10/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3617 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 440
By Representative Cabral of New Bedford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 440) of
Antonio F. D. Cabral and others relative to admissions to vocational-technical schools or
vocational-technical programs to provide for equitable workforce development. Education.
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 for equitable workforce development.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 74 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by inserting after section 5B the following section: -
3 Section 5C. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the
4following meanings: “Eligible applicant”, a student that meets the requirements to be promoted
5to the applicable grade. Any admission offered to an applicant before having been promoted to
6the applicable grade shall be contingent only upon promotion. “Department”, the department of
7elementary and secondary education.
8 (b) If there are more eligible applicants than spaces available for admission to a
9vocational-technical school or vocational-technical program within a vocational-technical school
10or comprehensive high school, whether or not the program is approved under this Chapter and
11including exploratory programs, the school shall hold a weighted lottery to determine which
12applicants shall be admitted, said lottery shall be weighted towards protected classes, including 2 of 3
13but not limited to, students of color, economically disadvantaged students, students with
14disabilities, and English language learners. No eligible applicant shall be required to submit
15anything to participate in the lottery other than the school the eligible applicant is currently
16enrolled in and contact information as determined relevant by the school.
17 (c) Each school shall place eligible applicants who entered the lottery but were not
18admitted on a waitlist, the order of which shall be determined by the lottery. The waitlist shall
19include the names, home addresses, telephone numbers,s and grade levels of such students, and
20any other information the department deems necessary. The school shall forward the waitlist to
21the department of education no later than June 1 in the year in which the lottery is held. The
22department shall maintain a consolidated waitlist in order to determine the number of individual
23students in each city or town seeking admission to vocational-technical education schools and
24programs. If a school fills a vacancy after the initial admissions cycle is completed, said school
25shall fill the vacancy with the next available student on the waitlist and shall continue through
26the waitlist until a student fills the vacant seat.
27 (d) The commissioner shall collect application, admission, enrollment, and waitlist data
28pertaining to at a minimum race, ethnicity, students with disabilities, economically
29disadvantaged students, and English language learners. The commissioner shall also collect data
30on the number of students enrolled in each vocational-technical education program receiving
31services pursuant to chapter 71A, chapter 71B, or both. The commissioner shall annually file
32said data with the clerks of the house and senate and the joint committee on education and make
33said data available to the public online not later than November 1. 3 of 3
34 (e) The board shall promulgate regulations for the implementation and enforcement of
35this section.
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