Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H723 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. 615 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 723
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Chynah Tyler
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 concerning education in honor of Byron Rushing.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Chynah Tyler7th Suffolk1/10/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 615 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 723
18	18	By Representative Tyler of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 723) of Chynah
19	19	Tyler relative to including the events of Black History instruction at schools and institutions of
20	20	higher education. Education.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 591 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act concerning education in honor of Byron Rushing.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 Section 1. Chapter 71 of General Laws is hereby amended adding the following section:
32	32	2 Section 2. Every school district and school shall include in its curriculum a unit of
33	33	3instruction studying the events of Black History, including the history of the African slave trade,
34	34	4slavery in America, and the vestiges of slavery in this country. These events shall include not
35	35	5only the contributions made by individual African-Americans in government and in the arts,
36	36	6humanities, and sciences to the economic, cultural and political development of the United States
37	37	7and Africa, but also the socio-economic struggle which African-Americans experienced
38	38	8collectively in striving to achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of this nation. The
39	39	9studying of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to
40	40	10respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in 2 of 2
41	41	11their lives and careers. The Department of Education and Secondary Education may prepare and
42	42	12make available to all school districts and schools instructional materials, which may be used as
43	43	13guidelines for development of a unit of instruction under this Section; provided, however, that
44	44	14each school district and school shall itself determine the minimum amount of instruction time
45	45	15which shall qualify as a unit of instruction satisfying the requirements of this Section. A school
46	46	16may meet the requirements of this Section through an online program or course.
47	47	17 Section 3. Public community colleges, colleges and universities shall offer a course
48	48	18studying the events of Black History, including the history of the African slave trade, slavery in
49	49	19America, and the vestiges of slavery in this country. These events shall include not only the
50	50	20contributions made by individual African-Americans in government and in the arts, humanities,
51	51	21and sciences to the economic, cultural, and political development of the United States and
52	52	22Africa, but also the socio-economic struggle that African-Americans experienced collectively in
53	53	23striving to achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of this nation. The taking of this
54	54	24course shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the dignity of
55	55	25all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and
56	56	26careers.
57	57	27 Public community colleges, colleges and universities may meet the requirements of this
58	58	28Section by offering an online course.