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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2136 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 577 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Danillo A. Sena |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act establishing an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex1/19/2023John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire1/19/2023Ryan C. FattmanWorcester and Hampden2/24/2023 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2136 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 577 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 577) of Danillo A. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sena, John C. Velis and Ryan C. Fattman for legislation to establish an elementary and |
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| 20 | 20 | | secondary school robotics grant program. Education. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act establishing an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 Chapter 15 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:- |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2 Section 67. (a) The department of education, hereinafter referred to as the department, |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3shall establish a grant program, subject to appropriation, to be known as the elementary and |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4secondary robotics grant program for the purpose of providing grants to assist school districts, |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5Horace Mann and commonwealth charter schools with the development of STEM and robotics |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6programs in schools. The grants shall be used to help students succeed academically and attend |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7colleges with a major in science, technology, engineering and math. The grants shall help |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8prepare students for a workforce in STEM and robotics. The grants shall also encourage |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9voluntary expansion of existing STEM and robotics programs in the commonwealth. The |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10department shall develop guidelines governing the grant program and guidelines for |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11implementation of said program. 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12 (b) Applicants shall be commonwealth school districts, Horace Mann and commonwealth |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13charter schools. Schools without a sponsored robotics club or established robotics program shall |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14be given preference for grant awards. Priority shall be given to schools located in the following |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15counties: Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, Bristol, Barnstable and Dukes. Applicants |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16shall commit to running a team registered with one of the following organizations: FIRST |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Lego League Explore, FIRST Lego |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18League Challenge, VEX Robotics Competition, VEX IQ Challenge or Science Olympiad, or |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19approved by the commissioner. |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20 (c) The commissioner shall evaluate annually programs established under this section |
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| 49 | 49 | | 21including the potential for replicating such programs throughout the commonwealth. The |
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| 50 | 50 | | 22commissioner shall also provide technical assistance to school districts seeking to replicate |
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| 51 | 51 | | 23programs funded under said section. |
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