Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1467 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2891 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1467
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Andres X. Vargas and Chynah Tyler
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 to facilitate student financial assistance.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Andres X. Vargas3rd Essex1/16/2025Chynah Tyler7th Suffolk1/16/2025Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/24/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/27/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2891 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1467
18	18	By Representatives Vargas of Haverhill and Tyler of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill,
19	19	House, No. 1467) of Andres X. Vargas, Chynah Tyler and others for legislation to facilitate
20	20	student financial assistance. Higher Education.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 1294 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act to facilitate student financial assistance.
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. Section 1D of Chapter 69 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing
32	32	2in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after clause (iii) the following
33	33	3clause: -
34	34	4 (iv) (a) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to maximize federal
35	35	5and state postsecondary financial aid options through the encouragement and requirement of
36	36	6graduating students to submit the applicable application for federal and state financial aid.
37	37	7 Before graduating from high school, each student must submit a free application for
38	38	8federal student aid, hereafter referred to as the FAFSA.  2 of 5
39	39	9 (b) A student is not required to comply with subsection (a) if: (1) the student’s parent or
40	40	10guardian submits a signed form described in subsection (c) indicating that the parent or guardian
41	41	11authorizes the student to decline to complete and submit the financial aid application; or (2) the
42	42	12student signs and submits the form referenced in subsection (c) on the student’s own behalf if the
43	43	13student is 18 years of age or older or legally emancipated; or (3) the student’s school files the
44	44	14form referenced in subsection (c) to be approved by the school district, if the student has not
45	45	15reached 18 years of age.
46	46	16 (c) The department of elementary and secondary education shall develop, and all school
47	47	17districts shall adopt, 2 forms to be used for the purposes of subsection (b), as follows: A form to
48	48	18be signed by a parent/guardian, or by a student over 18 years of age or legally emancipated. This
49	49	19form shall be written in accessible language, translated into families’ preferred languages, and
50	50	20require no personal information except for student and parent/guardian (if applicable) names and
51	51	21signatures. The form shall not require any information on citizenship status.
52	52	22 A form filed by the school district on behalf of a student under the age of 18 who is not
53	53	23legally emancipated. The form shall be signed by the principal of the student’s school and shall
54	54	24include the following information: (a) attestation that the student meets all other graduation
55	55	25requirements; (b) attestation that the school has made a good faith effort to contact the family
56	56	26and to provide any support necessary to submit the FAFSA, including at least 3 personalized
57	57	27communications in the family’s preferred language.
58	58	28 Prior to completion of high school, each school district shall ensure that every
59	59	29student complies with subsection (a) or (b) and must provide to each high school student and, if 3 of 5
60	60	30applicable, their parent or guardian any support or assistance necessary to comply with this
61	61	31section.
62	62	32 (d) The commissioner shall provide guidance to districts related to the implementation of
63	63	33this section, including the distribution of information related to this requirement, reporting
64	64	34requirements for school districts and required communications to parents and guardians related
65	65	35to all financial aid options for high school students. Each district must annually report to the
66	66	36department of elementary and secondary education by September 30 the following: the number
67	67	37of students completing and submitting the free application for federal student aid; the number of
68	68	38students who received an exemption to this requirement through paragraph (iv) subsections
69	69	39(b)(1), (b)(2) and (b)(3) separately and in combination, provided further that this data be broken
70	70	40down by race, ethnicity, primary city or town of residence and such other categories that the
71	71	41department may determine.
72	72	42 SECTION 2.
73	73	43 Section 2. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a
74	74	44separate fund to be known as the FAFSA Trust Fund. The fund shall be administered by the
75	75	45commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The fund shall be credited with: (i)
76	76	46revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically
77	77	47designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) interest earned on such revenues; and (iii) funds from
78	78	48public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations to aid districts in supporting
79	79	49students, parents and guardians with Free Application for Federal Student Aid submission.
80	80	50Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money
81	81	51remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund. 4 of 5
82	82	52 (b) Amounts credited to the fund may focus on underserved communities across the
83	83	53commonwealth, including those school districts with high concentrations of economically
84	84	54disadvantaged students, and may be expended, without further appropriation, by the
85	85	55commissioner for the following purposes: (i) to assist with the implementation and execution of
86	86	56section (a), including staff and administrator training; (ii) for the development of workshops and
87	87	57other support services and systems; and (iii) for the collaboration with stakeholder and
88	88	58community organizations to support students, parents, and guardians with Free Application for
89	89	59Federal Student Aid submission.
90	90	60 (c) Amounts received from private sources shall be approved by the commissioner of
91	91	61elementary and secondary education and subject to review before being deposited in the fund to
92	92	62ensure that pledged funds are not accompanied by conditions, explicit or implicit, on the
93	93	63implementation of FAFSA workshops or other programming that may be detrimental to students,
94	94	64parents, guardians, school districts, or that places limitations or restrictions on how funds can be
95	95	65used to support the implementation of this section. The review shall be made publicly available.
96	96	66 (d) Annually, not later than October 1, the commissioner shall report to the clerks of the
97	97	67house of representatives and senate, the joint committee on education and the house and senate
98	98	68committees on ways and means on the fund's activity. The report shall include, but not be limited
99	99	69to: (i) the source and amount of funds received; (ii) the amounts distributed and the purpose of
100	100	70expenditures from the fund, including but not limited to, funds expended to assist school districts
101	101	71in meeting the requirements in section (a); (iii) any grants provided to high schools and other
102	102	72stakeholder organizations; and (iv) anticipated revenue and expenditure projections for the next
103	103	73year. 5 of 5
104	104	74 SECTION 3. Section 1 of this act shall take effect on October 1, 2026.
105	105	75 SECTION 4. Section 2 of this act shall take effect October 1, 2025.