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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1428 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 610
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
_________________
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 foundation budget review commission permanence.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/14/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/15/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester1/31/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden3/10/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/28/2025David K. Muradian, Jr.9th Worcester1/29/2025Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth2/5/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable2/15/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1428 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 610
By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 610) of
Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others for legislation to permanently establish the Foundation Budget
Review Commission. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 510 OF 2023-2024.]
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 foundation budget review commission permanence.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 4 of chapter 70 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking section 4 in its entirety, and inserting in place
3thereof the following section:-
4 Section 4. There shall be a foundation budget review commission to review, every 5
5years, the way foundation budgets are calculated and to make recommendations for potential
6changes in those calculations as the commission deems appropriate. In conducting such review,
7the commission shall seek to determine the educational programs and services necessary to
8achieve the commonwealth's educational goals and to prepare students to achieve passing scores
9on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System examinations or other designated
10statewide assessments. The review shall include, but not be limited to, those components of the 2 of 3
11foundation budget created pursuant to section 3 of chapter 70 and subsequent changes made to
12the foundation budget by law. In addition, the commission shall seek to determine and
13recommend measures to promote the adoption of ways in which resources can be most
14effectively utilized and consider various models of efficient and effective resource allocation. In
15carrying out the review, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall provide
16to the commission any data and information the commissioner considers relevant to the
17commission's charge.
18 The commission shall include the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on
19education, who shall serve as co-chairs, the secretary of education, the commissioner of
20elementary and secondary education, the commissioner of early education and care, the speaker
21of the house of representatives or a designee, the president of the senate or a designee, the
22minority leader of the house of representatives or a designee, the minority leader of the senate or
23a designee, the governor or a designee, the chair of the house committee on ways and means or a
24designee, the chair of the senate committee on ways and means or a designee and 1 member to
25be appointed by each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Municipal Association,
26Inc., the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Inc., the Massachusetts Association of
27School Committees, Inc., the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Inc., the
28Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the
29Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, Inc., the Massachusetts Association of
30Regional Schools, Inc. and the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials.
31Members shall not receive compensation for their services but may receive reimbursement for
32the reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members of the
33commission. The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall furnish reasonable 3 of 3
34staff and other support for the work of the commission. Prior to issuing its recommendations, the
35commission shall conduct not fewer than 4 public hearings across regions of the commonwealth.
36The commission shall be considered a special commission established by section 2A of chapter 4
37and shall be subject to the provisions of said section 2A of chapter 4. It shall not constitute a
38violation of chapter 268A for state employee or a person employed by a school district to serve
39on the commission or to participate in commission deliberations that may have a financial impact
40on the district employing that person, on the commonwealth, or on the rate at which that person
41may be compensated. The commission may establish procedures to ensure that no such person
42participates in commission deliberations that may directly affect the school districts employing
43those persons or that may directly affect the rate at which those persons are compensated.
44 SECTION 2. The first report pursuant to this act shall be filed on or before November 1,
452025.