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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 612 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 244 |
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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 | | Joanne M. Comerford |
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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 fairly reimbursing local school transportation of foster children. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and WorcesterSusannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin2/15/2023 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 612 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 244 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 244) of Joanne M. Comerford |
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| 19 | 19 | | and Susannah M. Whipps for legislation to fairly reimburse local school transportation of foster |
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| 20 | 20 | | children. 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 fairly reimbursing local school transportation of foster children. |
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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 70 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 10 the |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2following section:- |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 Section 10A. (a) The department and the department of children and families shall jointly |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4apply for reimbursement from the United States Department of Education, pursuant to any and |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5all applicable federal laws, including, but not limited to the Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 USC |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6§ 6301, for the costs incurred by a school district for transportation of a child in foster care |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7between the foster home and the child’s school of origin, if placement in that school has been |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8determined to be in the child’s best interests. The school district shall certify its costs for such |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9transportation on a form designated by the department for this purpose and complete the form in |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10accordance with the department’s instructions. The department shall transmit any reimbursement |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11amounts received from the United States Department of Education to the school district. 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12 (b) To the extent that the United States Department of Education does not reimburse the |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13commonwealth in full for the certified costs for such school transportation of a child in foster |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14care, the department shall reimburse the school district for the balance of the certified costs. |
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