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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2085 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 508
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
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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 relative to an educational unfunded mandate task force.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/17/2023Nicholas A. Boldyga3rd Hampden1/26/2023Susan Williams Gifford2nd Plymouth1/26/2023Lenny Mirra2nd Essex1/26/2023F. Jay Barrows1st Bristol1/26/2023Marcus S. Vaughn9th Norfolk1/27/2023Angelo L. D'Emilia8th Plymouth1/29/2023Kelly W. Pease4th Hampden1/31/2023Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester2/1/2023Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth2/9/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester3/1/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2085 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 508
By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 508) of
Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others for legislation to provide for investigation by a task force
(including members of the General Court) relative to the state mandates placed on public schools
and districts. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 634 OF 2021-2022.]
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 relative to an educational unfunded mandate task force.
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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be an
2educational mandate task force to review existing state mandates placed on public schools and
3districts in the Commonwealth. The task force shall consist of 11 members: the house and senate
4chairs of the joint committee on education, or their designees, who shall serve as the co-chairs of
5the task force; a member of the general court appointed by the senate minority leader; a member
6of the general court appointed by the house minority leader; the commissioner of elementary and
7secondary education, or a designee; and 6 persons to be appointed by the secretary of education,
81 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association
9of School Superintendents, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the
10Massachusetts Association of School Committees, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 2 of 2
11persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, 1 of whom
12shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Secondary School
13Administrators’ Association, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by
14the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Association, and 1 of whom shall be selected
15from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Administrators of Special Education.
16 SECTION 2. The task force shall: (i) identify and review the state laws, regulations, and
17administrative directives that prescribe requirements for school districts, including those that
18require school districts to prepare and submit reports and data to the department of elementary
19and secondary education (ii) develop recommendations to streamline, consolidate, or eliminate
20such mandates or reporting requirements that are not fully funded and (iii) determine the total
21estimated cost of said unfunded mandates on municipalities to consider those figures in the
22annual fiscal year budget.
23 SECTION 3. The first meeting of the task force shall take place within 60 days of the
24effective date of this act. The task force shall file a report containing its findings and
25recommendations, including legislative recommendations, if any, with the clerks of the house
26and senate not later than 12 months following the first meeting of the task force. Prior to issuing
27its recommendations, the task force shall conduct at least one public hearing to receive testimony
28from members of the public.