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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 124 FILED ON: 1/9/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 565
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Lindsay N. Sabadosa
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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 the location of school resource officers.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/9/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 124 FILED ON: 1/9/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 565
By Representative Sabadosa of Northampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 565)
of Lindsay N. Sabadosa relative to the location of school resource officers. 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 relative to the location of school resource officers.
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. Section 37P of chapter 71, as appearing in section 79 of Chapter 253 of the
2Acts of 2020, is hereby amended by inserting after the last sentence in the definition of “School
3resource officer” the following sentence:-
4 A school resource officer shall not be located on school grounds but at the local police
5station and shall be charged with serving as the primary emergency responder to calls to the
6police department from public schools.
7 SECTION 2. Section 37P of chapter 71, as appearing in section 79 of Chapter 253 of the
8Acts of 2020, is hereby further amended by striking the fifth paragraph of subsection (b) and
9inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
10 The model memorandum of understanding shall expressly state that school resource
11officers, as well as any special service officers appointed to the school district, shall not: (i) be
12located on school grounds, but at the local police station, or, in the case of a special service 2 of 2
13officer, at the school district office, except when responding to school-based emergency (ii)
14serve as school disciplinarians, enforcers of school regulations or in place of licensed school
15psychologists, psychiatrists or counselors; and (iii) use police powers to address traditional
16school discipline issues, including non-violent disruptive behavior.