Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H675 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. 2635 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 675
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Edward R. Philips
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 establishing the school supplies for teachers program.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk1/16/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2635 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 675
18	18	By Representative Philips of Sharon, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 675) of
19	19	Edward R. Philips for legislation to establish a school supplies for teachers program. Education.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act establishing the school supplies for teachers program.
26	26	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
27	27	of the same, as follows:
28	28	1 SECTION 1: Chapter 70 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
29	29	2section 17 the following section:-
30	30	3 Section 18. SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR TEACHERS PROGRAM
31	31	4 (1)For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
32	32	5meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
33	33	6 “Authorized ecommerce vendor” means an ecommerce vendor that has been approved by
34	34	7the Executive Office of Education.
35	35	8 “Ecommerce” means a commercial transaction, which may include the transmission of
36	36	9funds or data or both, conducted electronically via the internet.
37	37	10 “Eligible teacher” means a teacher employed in good standing at a public school in this
38	38	11Commonwealth pursuant to a school year contract and who has the primary responsibility of 2 of 3
39	39	12providing classroom instruction to students for not less than 60 percent of each school day on
40	40	13average, measured weekly.
41	41	14 “School Supplies for Teachers Program” or “program” means the program established
42	42	15pursuant to this part to provide financial and technical assistance to eligible teachers who
43	43	16purchase school supplies online as provided in this part.
44	44	17 “User” means an eligible teacher who is certified by a participating local school system
45	45	18or public school as eligible to participate in the program and who has a user account.
46	46	19 “User account” means the unique platform account.
47	47	20 (2)The School Supplies for Teachers Program is established to provide financial and
48	48	21technical assistance to teachers who purchase school supplies online
49	49	22 (3)The requirements of this part shall be subject to appropriation of funds by the
50	50	23General Court or the availability of other funds for such purpose.
51	51	24 (4)The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall:
52	52	25 (a)Establish a program to allocate funds for eligible teachers to be used at the
53	53	26discretion of such teachers for the online purchase of school supplies as provided herein;
54	54	27 (b)Establish such policies, rules, and regulations as necessary for the
55	55	28implementation; and
56	56	29 (c)Identify one or more authorized software services providers to offer and support a
57	57	30user-friendly online ecommerce platform that: 3 of 3
58	58	31 (i)Processes the allocation of funds to the user accounts of eligible teachers for the
59	59	32online purchase of school supplies from authorized ecommerce vendors; and
60	60	33 (ii) Includes appropriate fiscal management and payment systems and reporting and
61	61	34training tools, as required by the Executive Office of Education.
62	62	35 (d)Ensure that purchases using program funds are restricted to online purchases of
63	63	36school supplies from authorized ecommerce vendors;
64	64	37 (e)Promulgate guidelines and provide technical assistance to facilitate local school
65	65	38systems, public schools, and teachers utilizing the program and to ensure program purchases are
66	66	39restricted to allowable expenses; and
67	67	40 (f)Establish processes as necessary for the implementation of the program consistent
68	68	41with the policies, rules, and regulations of the Executive Office of Education.
69	69	42 (5)Each local school system or public school shall certify, as required by the
70	70	43Department Elementary and Secondary Education, the eligibility of each teacher employed by
71	71	44such local school system or public school who requests a user account; provided, that to be
72	72	45eligible for a user account a teacher shall be employed in good standing at a public school
73	73	46pursuant to a school year contract and have the primary responsibility of providing classroom
74	74	47instruction to students not less than 60 percent of each school day on average, measured weekly.