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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2479 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 705
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Todd M. Smola
_________________
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 promote healthy culture and climate within schools.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Todd M. Smola1st Hampden1/16/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2479 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 705
By Representative Smola of Warren, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 705) of Todd
M. Smola that school administrators consider alternatives to suspension or expulsion of certain
students. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 580 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act to promote healthy culture and climate within schools.
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 37H3/4 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official
2Edition, is hereby amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting in place thereof the
3following:-
4 "(b) Any principal, headmaster, superintendent or person acting as a decision-maker at a
5student meeting or hearing, when deciding the consequences for the student, shall consider ways
6to re-engage the student in the learning process; and shall not suspend or expel a student until
7alternative remedies have been employed and their use and results documented, following and in
8direct response to a specific incident or incidents, unless specific reasons are documented as to
9why such alternative remedies are unsuitable or counter-productive, except, however, in cases
10where the student’s continued presence in school would pose a specific, documentable concern 2 of 2
11about the infliction of serious bodily injury or other serious harm upon another person while in
12school or has caused a significant disruption to the learning environment for other students.
13Alternative remedies may include, but shall not be limited to: (i) mediation; (ii) conflict
14resolution; (iii) restorative justice; and (iv) collaborative problem solving. The principal,
15headmaster, superintendent or person acting as a decision-maker shall also implement school- or
16district-wide models to re-engage students in the learning process which shall include but not be
17limited to: (i) positive behavioral interventions and supports models and (ii) trauma sensitive
18learning models; provided, however, that school- or district-wide models shall not be considered
19a direct response to a specific incident."