Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H541 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1267 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 541
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Marjorie C. Decker
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 learning in the early school years through a ban on school exclusion in public
13	13	prekindergarten through 3rd grade.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/14/2025 1 of 3
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1267 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 541
19	19	By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 541) of
20	20	Marjorie C. Decker for legislation to ban school exclusion from prekindergarten through 3rd
21	21	grade in public schools. Education.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act enhancing learning in the early school years through a ban on school exclusion in public
28	28	prekindergarten through 3rd grade.
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. The General Court hereby finds and declares that:
32	32	2 (1) to give students, especially the most vulnerable, the ability to be prepared for post
33	33	3third grade—an important educational milestone—students must be in school to learn during the
34	34	4prekindergarten to third grade years;
35	35	5 (2) the department of elementary and secondary education must give enhanced attention,
36	36	6tools and resources to create effective responses to the disciplinary challenges that educators face
37	37	7in teaching students in prekindergarten to third grade;
38	38	8 (3) fourth and fifth grade students require sufficient time in school, as their final years in
39	39	9elementary school similarly represent an important educational milestone; and
40	40	10 (4) these steps will enhance equal educational opportunity because disparities in school
41	41	11discipline lead to disparate educational outcomes for students. 2 of 3
42	42	12 (5) these steps are especially important as young students continue to struggle after
43	43	13experiencing learning loss and traumatic experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
44	44	14 SECTION 2. Section 37H¾ of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
45	45	15Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting before paragraph (a) the following paragraph:
46	46	16 This section shall govern the suspension and expulsion of students enrolled in a public
47	47	17school in the commonwealth who are not charged with a violation of subsections (a) and (b) of
48	48	18section 37H or with a felony under section 37H½.
49	49	19 SECTION 3. Said section 37H¾ of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby further
50	50	20amended by striking out paragraph (a) and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
51	51	21 (a) A student enrolled in a public prekindergarten program, kindergarten, first grade,
52	52	22second grade or third grade may not be suspended or expelled from school in response to
53	53	23discipline infractions.
54	54	24 SECTION 4. Said section 37H¾ of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby further
55	55	25amended by striking out paragraph (a) and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:
56	56	26 (a) A student enrolled in a public prekindergarten program, kindergarten, first grade,
57	57	27second grade, third grade or fourth grade may not be suspended or expelled from school in
58	58	28response to discipline infractions.
59	59	29 SECTION 5. Said section 37H¾ of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby further
60	60	30amended by striking out paragraph (a) and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph: 3 of 3
61	61	31 (a) A student enrolled in a public prekindergarten program, kindergarten, first grade,
62	62	32second grade, third grade, fourth grade or fifth grade may not be suspended or expelled from
63	63	33school in response to discipline infractions.
64	64	34 SECTION 6. Said section 37H¾ of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby further
65	65	35amended by adding the following subsection:
66	66	36 (g) The department shall provide guidance and support to school districts to provide
67	67	37school staff with best practices to respond to concerns related to student behavior including, but
68	68	38not limited to, alternatives to suspension and expulsion such as (i) mediation; (ii) conflict
69	69	39resolution; (iii) restorative justice; and (iv) collaborative problem solving.
70	70	40 SECTION 7. Section 4 shall take effect 1 year after passage of this act.
71	71	41 SECTION 8. Section 5 shall take effect 2 years after passage of this act.