| 1 | 1 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2590 |
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| 2 | 2 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 3 | 3 | | _______________ |
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| 4 | 4 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 5 | 5 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 6 | 6 | | _______________ |
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| 7 | 7 | | SENATE, February 12, 2024. |
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| 8 | 8 | | The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, |
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| 9 | 9 | | Senate, No. 244) of Joanne M. Comerford and Susannah M. Whipps for legislation to fairly |
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| 10 | 10 | | reimburse local school transportation of foster children; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 329) |
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| 11 | 11 | | of Patrick M. O'Connor and David F. DeCoste for legislation to prove opportunity for youth with |
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| 12 | 12 | | substance abuse needs; and (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 330) of Jacob R. Oliveira, Adam |
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| 13 | 13 | | Scanlon, Vanna Howard, Jason M. Lewis and others for legislation relative to student |
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| 14 | 14 | | transportation, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2590). |
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| 15 | 15 | | For the committee, |
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| 16 | 16 | | Jason M. Lewis 1 of 2 |
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| 17 | 17 | | FILED ON: 2/2/2024 |
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| 18 | 18 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2590 |
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| 19 | 19 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 20 | 20 | | _______________ |
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| 21 | 21 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | An Act relative to school transportation. |
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| 25 | 25 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 26 | 26 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 27 | 27 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 7C of Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby repealed. |
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| 28 | 28 | | 2 SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
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| 29 | 29 | | 3Section 7C, the following new section:- |
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| 30 | 30 | | 4 Section 7B 1/2. The department of elementary and secondary education shall maintain a |
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| 31 | 31 | | 5registry of all vendors providing school transportation services. |
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| 32 | 32 | | 6 SECTION 3. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
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| 33 | 33 | | 7Section 68, the following new section:- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 8 Section 68A. A school district shall provide all parents and guardians of students the |
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| 35 | 35 | | 9opportunity to decline school transportation on an annual basis. Such offers shall be made not |
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| 36 | 36 | | 10less than 30 days prior to the start of the academic year. Should a parent or guardian of a student |
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| 37 | 37 | | 11decline transportation for their student, the school district shall not be obligated to provide |
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| 38 | 38 | | 12transportation to said student for said academic year as designated by the parent or guardian. 2 of 2 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 13 SECTION 4. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
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| 40 | 40 | | 14Section 16C, the following new section:- |
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| 41 | 41 | | 15 Section 16C ½. A regional school district shall provide all parents and guardians of |
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| 42 | 42 | | 16students the opportunity to decline school transportation on an annual basis. Such offers shall be |
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| 43 | 43 | | 17made not less than 30days prior to the start of the academic year. Should a parent or guardian of |
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| 44 | 44 | | 18a student decline transportation for their student, the regional school |
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| 45 | 45 | | 19 district shall not be obligated to provide transportation to said student for said academic |
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| 46 | 46 | | 20year as designated by the parent or guardian. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 21 SECTION 5. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department |
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| 48 | 48 | | 22of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the department of transportation, |
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| 49 | 49 | | 23shall conduct a study of student transportation collaboratives and consortiums. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 24 Said study shall examine what school districts would be best served by implementing a |
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| 51 | 51 | | 25collaborative or consortium and how such a collaborative or consortium could be implemented in |
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| 52 | 52 | | 26a district. The department shall file its report with the chairs of the joint committee on education, |
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| 53 | 53 | | 27the chairs of the joint committee on transportation, the chairs of the house and senate committees |
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| 54 | 54 | | 28on ways & means, and the house and senate clerks on or before July 1, 2025. |
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