Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S266 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2083 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 266
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Sal N. DiDomenico
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act enhancing the educational outcomes of expectant and parenting students.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk 1 of 5
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2083 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 266
18	18	By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 266) of Sal N. DiDomenico
19	19	for legislation to enhance the educational outcomes of expectant and parenting students.
20	20	Education.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 313 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act enhancing the educational outcomes of expectant and parenting students.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 76 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official edition,
32	32	2is hereby amended by inserting after section 21 the following section:-
33	33	3 Section 22. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context
34	34	4clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
35	35	5 “Department”, the department of elementary and secondary education.
36	36	6 “Expectant student”, a student who is pregnant or an expectant parent of a child.
37	37	7 “Parenting student”, a student who is the parent of a child.
38	38	8 “Parenting student liaison”, the position established under subsection (d). 2 of 5
39	39	9 “Title IX”, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.
40	40	10 “Title IX coordinator”, the school district employee designated under the requirements of
41	41	11Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. and its implementation.
42	42	12 (b) The department, after consultation with relevant state agencies and appropriate
43	43	13community partners shall: (i) publish to its website a model of expectant and parenting student
44	44	14policy and encourage all districts to develop their own expectant and parenting students policies
45	45	15that align with this model; and (ii) compile and post on its website a list of resources, best
46	46	16practices and research for schools to use to help expectant and parenting students stay in school
47	47	17and to increase graduation rates for expectant and parenting students. These materials shall be
48	48	18incorporated into the training of expectant and parenting student liaisons, as described in
49	49	19subsection (d). The department shall update the model plan and the list of resources, best
50	50	20practices and research at least every 3 years.
51	51	21 (c) A public school with students in grade 7 or higher in either (i) a municipality with an
52	52	22annual birth rate to women ages 13 to 19 per 1,000 that is among the top 10 highest teen birth
53	53	23rates in the state or (ii) a municipality with an annual total number of births to women ages 13 to
54	54	2419, inclusive, greater than 150 shall qualify for an expectant and parenting student liaison
55	55	25modeled after an evidence-based program at Chelsea High School. Each qualifying municipality
56	56	26shall receive funding for the liaison model. The amount of this funding shall be determined by
57	57	27the department. Districts shall determine which schools with grades 7 or higher shall have
58	58	28liaisons. The districts shall give preference to placing liaisons at schools with the highest
59	59	29percentages of expectant and parenting students. Each school shall post on its website the name
60	60	30and contact information of its expectant and parenting student liaison. The duties of the 3 of 5
61	61	31expectant and parenting student liaison may be in addition to other duties the liaison may have.
62	62	32Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the expectant and parenting student
63	63	33liaison shall have access to the school records necessary for the liaison to assist the expectant or
64	64	34parenting student with the development of a plan for the student to graduate from high school.
65	65	35 The department of public health shall calculate the annual birth rate and annual total
66	66	36number of births to women ages 13 to 19, inclusive, of each municipality. No later than April 1,
67	67	372022 the department of public health shall notify the department of its findings. No later than
68	68	38May 1, 2022 the department shall notify those school districts whose annual birth rate or annual
69	69	39total number of births to women ages 13 to 19, inclusive, require the designation of an expectant
70	70	40and parenting student liaison in the upcoming school year.
71	71	41 Each expectant and parenting student liaison shall, in close consultation with an
72	72	42expectant or parenting student, create an individualized plan for graduation that (i) is designed to
73	73	43ensure the student meets graduation requirements, (ii) includes flexible class scheduling and
74	74	44alternative credit accumulation options, as needed, and (iii) furthers the student’s post-graduation
75	75	45college or career goals. As needed, the plan shall also include a proposed end date for the
76	76	46student’s maternity or paternity leave of absence. The liaison shall present the advantages and
77	77	47disadvantages of each education option available to the student, without coercing or steering the
78	78	48student in any direction, and work with the student to determine which options best meet the
79	79	49student’s needs. If flexible class scheduling and alternative credit accumulation options are not
80	80	50available in the student’s school or district, the liaison shall work with the student to find such
81	81	51options. With the consent of the student, the liaison shall make a reasonable attempt to engage a
82	82	52family member in the development of the plan and any modifications to it. If such a family
83	83	53member is not available or if the student does not consent to the involvement of a family 4 of 5
84	84	54member, the liaison shall make a reasonable attempt to engage an adult outside of the student’s
85	85	55family in the development or modification of the plan, provided that the student consents to such
86	86	56involvement.
87	87	57 The liaison shall review the plan with the student at designated points during the school
88	88	58year and assess the student’s progress toward each graduation requirement and post-graduation
89	89	59goal. The liaison and student shall modify the plan from time to time as appropriate.
90	90	60 Before, during and after a student’s maternity or paternity leave of absence, the liaison
91	91	61shall attempt to connect a student with academic and social-emotional supports within and
92	92	62outside of the school, including but not limited to child care, health care, transportation, flexible
93	93	63scheduling, alternative credit accumulation options, and parenting and life skills classes. The
94	94	64liaison shall follow up with the student to ensure he or she has obtained needed supports and
95	95	65shall, where necessary, work in partnership with community-based organizations to assist and
96	96	66advocate for the student in obtaining support services. The expectant and parenting student
97	97	67liaison shall inform each expectant and parenting student of the student’s rights under Title IX.
98	98	68 Each school district shall ensure that each expectant and parenting student liaison
99	99	69receives training in the needs and rights of expectant and parenting students. This training shall
100	100	70include but not be limited to the rights of expectant and parenting students under federal law,
101	101	71information on graduation requirements, flexible scheduling options, alternative education
102	102	72options, community resources for expectant and parenting teens, and the importance of
103	103	73encouragement and support of their educational success.
104	104	74 (e) In all schools with grades 7 or higher, the expectant and parenting student liaison or
105	105	75Title IX coordinator shall annually report to the superintendent the known number of parenting 5 of 5
106	106	76students in the school, a summary of the academic achievement of these students, the number
107	107	77who graduate from high school, the number who drop out of school, and the number who enroll
108	108	78in post-secondary educational programs. Each superintendent shall annually report this data for
109	109	79the school district to the department. The department shall use its existing data collection tools to
110	110	80obtain this information from districts and shall modify those tools, as necessary, to obtain the
111	111	81information. The department shall post on its website aggregate statewide data and shall make
112	112	82district-level data available upon request except for data from districts that report fewer than 5
113	113	83parenting students.
114	114	84 (f) School staff may encourage but shall not force or coerce an expectant or parenting
115	115	85student to inform his or her parents or guardians of the student’s pregnant or parenting status.
116	116	86 (g) Nothing in this section shall supersede or replace rights or remedies under any other
117	117	87general or special law, nor shall this section create a private right of action.
118	118	88 SECTION 2. Each public school with students in grade 7 or higher that is required to
119	119	89have an expectant and parenting student liaison shall identify and train a liaison, as defined under
120	120	90section 22 of chapter 76, no later than September 1, 2023. No later than September 1, 2023, each
121	121	91public school with students in grade 7 or higher shall have and shall file with the department of
122	122	92elementary and secondary education an expectant and parenting student policy. No later than
123	123	93September 1, 2023, the department of elementary and secondary education shall specify a
124	124	94method for districts and schools to report the information required by subsection (e) of section 22
125	125	95of chapter 76.