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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 597 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 506
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Shirley B. Arriaga
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to youth and athletics.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Shirley B. Arriaga8th Hampden1/10/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 597 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 506
By Representative Arriaga of Chicopee, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 506) of
Shirley B. Arriaga relative to youth and athletics and establishing the PLAY trust fund to be
administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to youth and athletics.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2JJJJJJ,
2added by section 7 of chapter 248 of chapter 2024, the following section:-
3 Section 2KKKKKK. (a) There shall be established and set upon the books of the
4commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the PLAY Trust Fund. The commissioner of the
5department of elementary and secondary education shall administer the fund. The fund shall be
6used for: (i) funding youth athletics for K-8 public school students in districts across the
7commonwealth; (ii) supporting K-8 public school students and their families by paying fees
8related to sports that they are unable to afford to pay; and (iii) combating childhood obesity by
9promoting and allowing children to play youth sports.
10 (b) The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations and other money
11authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds
12from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations; (iii) 1 per cent of the total 2 of 2
13funds collected from the excised tax imposed upon sports wagering operators in the
14commonwealth pursuant to section 14 of chapter 23N; and (iv) interest earned on money in the
15fund. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money
16remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund.
17 (c) Annually, not later than October 1, the commissioner of elementary and secondary
18education shall report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint committee
19on education and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the fund’s activities.
20The report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the source and amount of funds received; (ii)
21the expenditures made from the fund and the purposes of such expenditures; (iii) any anticipated
22remaining revenue from awards; (vi) the number of students and families who received funding;
23and (v) the report shall be publicly available on the department’s website.