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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1452 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 689
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Amy Mah Sangiolo
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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 to remodel public school athletics through social-emotional learning.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Amy Mah Sangiolo11th Middlesex1/15/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1452 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 689
By Representative Sangiolo of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 689) of
Amy Mah Sangiolo relative to the implementation of social and emotional learning curricula in
middle and high school athletic programs. 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 to remodel public school athletics through social-emotional learning.
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 37O of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:-
3 (o) The department of elementary and secondary education shall publish, on or before
4June 30, 2024, guidelines for the implementation of social and emotional learning curricula in
5middle and high school athletic programs.
6 Such curricula shall include, but shall not be limited to, explicitly teaching students and
7coaches how to: (1) create safe, supportive and bias-free team cultures; (2) provide students age-
8appropriate leadership roles role in making decisions and carrying out responsibilities within the
9team framework, including empowering students to speak up and report behaviors that are
10contrary to a safe, supportive and bias-free culture; (3) formulate lessons and guidance that
11address hate, bias and negative behaviors to foster healthy, responsible norms on sports teams;
12(4) build and sustain positive relationships with others; and (5) develop such other skills that will 2 of 2
13assist them in overcoming physical, social, and emotional obstacles in athletic competition and in
14their lives, such as emotion and stress management, building and sustaining positive
15relationships with others, self-discipline and self-motivation, setting personal and collective
16goals, resisting negative social pressure, conflict resolution, ethical decision making and problem
17solving.
18 The guidelines shall be updated biennially. A school district shall consider the guidelines
19if it elects to integrate social emotional learning into its athletic programs. For purposes of this
20section, social and emotional learning shall mean the processes by which children acquire the
21knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate
22caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions and
23constructively handle challenging social situations. The department of elementary and secondary
24education shall integrate the guidelines into the safe and supportive schools framework created
25pursuant to section 1P of chapter 69.