Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H587 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. 1370 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 587
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Homar Gómez
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 require mandatory training on microaggressions and implicit bias for staff members
13	13	teaching extracurricular activities.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Homar Gómez2nd Hampshire1/14/2025 1 of 3
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1370 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 587
19	19	By Representative Gómez of Easthampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 587) of
20	20	Homar Gómez for legislation to require mandatory training on microaggressions and implicit
21	21	bias for staff members teaching extracurricular activities. 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 to require mandatory training on microaggressions and implicit bias for staff members
28	28	teaching extracurricular activities.
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. Purpose
32	32	2 The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that all staff members responsible for teaching
33	33	3or supervising extracurricular activities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are adequately
34	34	4trained to identify and address microaggressions and implicit bias. This bill aims to create
35	35	5inclusive and respectful environments for students engaged in extracurricular activities.
36	36	6 Section 2. Definitions
37	37	7 For purposes of this Act:
38	38	8 Extracurricular Activities shall refer to any educational programs or activities offered
39	39	9outside the regular school curriculum, including but not limited to sports, music, clubs,
40	40	10performing arts, student leadership programs, and other enrichment activities. 2 of 3
41	41	11 Staff Members shall refer to any individual employed or contracted by public or private
42	42	12educational institutions in Massachusetts who oversees or assists in extracurricular activities.
43	43	13 Microaggressions shall refer to subtle, often unintentional, actions or comments that may
44	44	14be perceived as offensive or disrespectful based on a person's race, ethnicity, gender, sexual
45	45	15orientation, or other identity characteristics.
46	46	16 Implicit Bias shall refer to unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect an individual’s
47	47	17actions, decisions, and perceptions in ways that may not be aligned with their conscious beliefs
48	48	18or values.
49	49	19 Section 3. Training Requirement
50	50	20 (a) Mandatory Training:
51	51	21 All staff members involved in teaching or supervising extracurricular activities in public
52	52	22or private educational institutions in Massachusetts shall complete training in the areas of
53	53	23microaggressions and implicit bias. This training shall be completed as part of the staff
54	54	24member’s onboarding process and must be refreshed annually.
55	55	25 (b) Training Program:
56	56	26 The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall develop the
57	57	27required training program. This program shall include, but not be limited to:
58	58	28 An overview of microaggressions and implicit bias.
59	59	29 The impact of microaggressions and implicit bias on student experience and well-being. 3 of 3
60	60	30 Practical strategies to address and mitigate microaggressions and implicit bias in
61	61	31interactions with students.
62	62	32 Techniques for creating inclusive and supportive environments for students in
63	63	33extracurricular activities.
64	64	34 Section 4. Certification and Record Keeping
65	65	35 (a) Certification:
66	66	36 Upon successful completion of the required training, each staff member shall receive a
67	67	37certificate of completion, issued by the DESE.
68	68	38 (b) Record Keeping:
69	69	39 Educational institutions shall maintain records of training completion for each staff
70	70	40member and must retain these records for a minimum of three years.
71	71	41 Section 5. Implementation and Oversight
72	72	42 (a) Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE):
73	73	43 The DESE shall oversee the implementation of the training requirements and develop
74	74	44guidelines for educational institutions to follow. DESE will also ensure that training materials are
75	75	45accessible to all staff and available in both in-person and online formats.
76	76	46 (b) Compliance and Enforcement:
77	77	47 Institutions that fail to comply with the training requirements set forth in this Act may be
78	78	48subject to penalties, including the withholding of state funding, as determined by the DESE.