| 1 | 1 | | 1 of 1 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1544 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 717 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Joshua Tarsky |
|---|
| 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 a special commission on special education funding. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Joshua Tarsky13th Norfolk1/15/2025Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex2/11/2025Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/27/2025 1 of 2 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1544 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 717 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Tarsky of Needham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 717) of |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Joshua Tarsky, Rebecca L. Rausch and Colleen M. Garry for an investigation by a special |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | commission (including members of the General Court) relative to state funding of special |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | education service. Education. |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | An Act establishing a special commission on special education funding. |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | 1 (a) There shall be a special legislative commission to investigate and study state funding |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | 2of special education services in the commonwealth. The commission shall examine the chapter |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | 370 funding formula and the special education circuit breaker program and investigate how to |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | 4improve state funding of special education services. |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | 5 (b) The commission shall consist of the following members: the secretary of education or |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | 6his designee, who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of the department of elementary and |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 7secondary education, or his designee; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | 8education, or their respective designees; 1 member appointed by the president of the senate, who |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | 9shall be an advocate for individuals with disabilities; 1 member appointed by the speaker of the |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | 10house, who shall have expertise in transportation of students with disabilities; 1 member |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | 11appointed by the senate minority leader; 1 member appointed by the house minority leader; the |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 12president of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Federation of Teachers; the executive 2 of 2 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | 13director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; the executive director of |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | 14the Massachusetts Association of School Committees; the executive director of the |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | 15Massachusetts Association of Approved Special Education schools; and up to 3 additional |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | 16individuals appointed by the chair. |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | 17 (c) All appointments shall be made not later than 90 days after the effective date of this |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | 18act. |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | 19 (d) The commission shall make recommendations for: (i) changes to the chapter 70 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | 20calculation of foundation aid to accommodate increases in inflation and costs; (ii) changes to the |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 21chapter 70 required local contribution calculation; (iii) raising the threshold for or removing the |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | 22cap on local contributions under chapter 70; (iv) reforming the penalty for localities deemed |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | 23below effort in their contributions; (v) improving the special education circuit breaker program |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | 24to better supplement local funding; and (vi) other matters related to special education funding |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | 25subject to the discretion of the commission. |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | 26 (e) Not later than March 6, 2026, the commission shall submit its report and |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | 27recommendations for proposed legislation to the senate and house committees on ways and |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | 28means, the chairs of the joint committee on education, and the clerks of the house and senate. |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | 29The department of elementary and secondary education shall publish the report on its website. |
|---|