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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3017 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 554 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Carol A. Doherty and Ryan M. Hamilton |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act establishing comprehensive school counseling programs. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/16/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/11/2025 1 of 1 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3017 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 554 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representatives Doherty of Taunton and Hamilton of Methuen, a petition (accompanied by |
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| 19 | 19 | | bill, House, No. 554) of Carol A. Doherty and James K. Hawkins for legislation to establish |
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| 20 | 20 | | school counseling programs. Education. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act establishing comprehensive school counseling programs. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition is hereby |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2amended by inserting the following:- |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 “Each public school district shall develop and implement a comprehensive school |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4counseling program that adheres to the Massachusetts Model for Comprehensive School |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5Counseling Programs and ensures all pre-K to grade twelve (12) students will receive school |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6counseling services from licensed school counselors. In accordance with the Model, each school |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7counselor is to spend at least eighty percent (80%) of that school counselor’s time providing |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8direct or indirect services to students. To maintain equity in student access to a school counselor, |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9each district shall provide one (1) school counselor for a maximum of two hundred fifty (250) |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10students, the nationally recommended average.” |
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