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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2054 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 718 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Joshua Tarsky |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act to reduce out-of-school suspensions. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Joshua Tarsky13th Norfolk1/15/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2054 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 718 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Tarsky of Needham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 718) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Joshua Tarsky for legislation to reduce out-of-school suspensions. Education. |
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| 20 | 20 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 21 | 21 | | _______________ |
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| 22 | 22 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | An Act to reduce out-of-school suspensions. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1 Section 37H¾ of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official |
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| 29 | 29 | | 2Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3 (g)(1) For the purposes of this subsection, the term “in-school suspension” shall mean the |
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| 31 | 31 | | 4removal of a student from regular classroom activities, but not from the school premises, for no |
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| 32 | 32 | | 5more than 10 consecutive school days, or no more than 10 school days cumulatively for multiple |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6infractions during the school year. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 7 (2) Schools shall offer, where appropriate, an option for in-school suspension. A student |
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| 35 | 35 | | 8serving an in-school suspension shall have the opportunity to earn credits, as applicable, and |
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| 36 | 36 | | 9make up assignments, tests, papers and other school work as needed to make academic progress |
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| 37 | 37 | | 10during the period of their removal from the classroom or school. In-school suspensions shall be |
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| 38 | 38 | | 11monitored by: (i) at least 1 person who holds a standard educator certificate or a provisional |
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| 39 | 39 | | 12educator certificate, pursuant to section 38G, and has experience teaching subject matter 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 13involving science or mathematics; and (ii) at least 1 person who holds a standard educator |
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| 41 | 41 | | 14certificate or a provisional educator certificate, pursuant to said section 38G, and has experience |
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| 42 | 42 | | 15teaching subject matter involving the humanities or social sciences; provided, that 1 person may |
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| 43 | 43 | | 16satisfy the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii). |
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| 44 | 44 | | 17 (3) The department shall provide funding or staff to any school that demonstrates an |
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| 45 | 45 | | 18insufficient funding or staffing level for the maintenance of an in-school suspension program, as |
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| 46 | 46 | | 19determined by the department. |
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