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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 187 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 617
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Hannah Kane
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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 establishing an educational mandate task force.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/7/2025Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex1/25/2025Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/29/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 187 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 617
By Representative Kane of Shrewsbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 617) of
Hannah Kane, Colleen M. Garry and Bradley H. Jones, Jr. for an investigation by a special task
force (including members of the General Court) relative to review existing state mandates placed
on public schools and districts in the Commonwealth. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 511 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 establishing an educational mandate task force.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 There shall be an educational mandate task force to review existing state mandates placed
2on public schools and districts in the Commonwealth. The task force shall consist of 11
3members: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, or their designees,
4who shall serve as the co-chairs of the task force; a member of the general court appointed by the
5senate minority leader; a member of the general court appointed by the house minority leader;
6the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, or a designee; and 6 persons to be
7appointed by the secretary of education, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons
8nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, 1 of whom shall be
9selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School
10Committees, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the 2 of 2
11Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, 1 of whom shall be selected from a list
12of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association, 1
13of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons nominated by the Massachusetts Elementary
14School Principals’ Association, and 1 of whom shall be selected from a list of 3 persons
15nominated by the Massachusetts Administrators of Special Education.
16 The task force shall: (i) identify and review the state laws, regulations, and administrative
17directives that prescribe requirements for school districts, including those that require school
18districts to prepare and submit reports and data to the department of elementary and secondary
19education; (ii) identify the state laws that require the department of elementary and secondary
20education to submit reports to the legislature based on information it must obtain from school
21districts; and (iii) develop recommendations to streamline, consolidate, or eliminate such
22mandates or reporting requirements that are outdated, or duplicative of or inconsistent with
23current laws, regulations or practices. In developing its recommendations, the task force shall
24consider the feasibility of creating a single master reporting form to prevent duplicate
25information from being reported by school districts more than once yearly. Such
26recommendations shall also include a process for ensuring that new state laws or regulations do
27not duplicate existing reporting requirements.
28 The first meeting of the task force shall take place within 60 days of the effective date of
29this act. The task force shall file a report containing its findings and recommendations, including
30legislative recommendations, if any, with the clerks of the house and senate not later than 12
31months following the first meeting of the task force. Prior to issuing its recommendations, the
32task force shall conduct at least one public hearing to receive testimony from members of the
33public.