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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2635 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 675
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Edward R. Philips
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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 the school supplies for teachers program.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk1/16/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2635 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 675
By Representative Philips of Sharon, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 675) of
Edward R. Philips for legislation to establish a school supplies for teachers program. Education.
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 the school supplies for teachers program.
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: Chapter 70 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 17 the following section:-
3 Section 18. SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR TEACHERS PROGRAM
4 (1)For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
5meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
6 “Authorized ecommerce vendor” means an ecommerce vendor that has been approved by
7the Executive Office of Education.
8 “Ecommerce” means a commercial transaction, which may include the transmission of
9funds or data or both, conducted electronically via the internet.
10 “Eligible teacher” means a teacher employed in good standing at a public school in this
11Commonwealth pursuant to a school year contract and who has the primary responsibility of 2 of 3
12providing classroom instruction to students for not less than 60 percent of each school day on
13average, measured weekly.
14 “School Supplies for Teachers Program” or “program” means the program established
15pursuant to this part to provide financial and technical assistance to eligible teachers who
16purchase school supplies online as provided in this part.
17 “User” means an eligible teacher who is certified by a participating local school system
18or public school as eligible to participate in the program and who has a user account.
19 “User account” means the unique platform account.
20 (2)The School Supplies for Teachers Program is established to provide financial and
21technical assistance to teachers who purchase school supplies online
22 (3)The requirements of this part shall be subject to appropriation of funds by the
23General Court or the availability of other funds for such purpose.
24 (4)The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall:
25 (a)Establish a program to allocate funds for eligible teachers to be used at the
26discretion of such teachers for the online purchase of school supplies as provided herein;
27 (b)Establish such policies, rules, and regulations as necessary for the
28implementation; and
29 (c)Identify one or more authorized software services providers to offer and support a
30user-friendly online ecommerce platform that: 3 of 3
31 (i)Processes the allocation of funds to the user accounts of eligible teachers for the
32online purchase of school supplies from authorized ecommerce vendors; and
33 (ii) Includes appropriate fiscal management and payment systems and reporting and
34training tools, as required by the Executive Office of Education.
35 (d)Ensure that purchases using program funds are restricted to online purchases of
36school supplies from authorized ecommerce vendors;
37 (e)Promulgate guidelines and provide technical assistance to facilitate local school
38systems, public schools, and teachers utilizing the program and to ensure program purchases are
39restricted to allowable expenses; and
40 (f)Establish processes as necessary for the implementation of the program consistent
41with the policies, rules, and regulations of the Executive Office of Education.
42 (5)Each local school system or public school shall certify, as required by the
43Department Elementary and Secondary Education, the eligibility of each teacher employed by
44such local school system or public school who requests a user account; provided, that to be
45eligible for a user account a teacher shall be employed in good standing at a public school
46pursuant to a school year contract and have the primary responsibility of providing classroom
47instruction to students not less than 60 percent of each school day on average, measured weekly.