Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S348 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 40 FILED ON: 1/6/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 348
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Lydia Edwards
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 providing in-district transportation funding.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Lydia EdwardsThird SuffolkAngelo J. Puppolo, Jr.12th Hampden3/5/2025Vanna Howard17th Middlesex3/5/2025Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk3/5/2025Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester3/5/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol3/5/2025Mike Connolly26th Middlesex3/5/2025Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex3/5/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester3/5/2025 1 of 3
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 40 FILED ON: 1/6/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 348
18	18	By Ms. Edwards, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 348) of Lydia Edwards, Angelo J.
19	19	Puppolo, Jr., Vanna Howard, Michael D. Brady and other members of the General Court for
20	20	legislation to provide in-district transportation funding for students. Education.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act providing in-district transportation funding.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 71B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official
30	30	2Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following section:-
31	31	3 Section 14. The state treasurer shall annually, on or before November 20th, reimburse
32	32	4any city, town, regional school district or independent vocational school for expenditures
33	33	5incurred during the previous fiscal year in the transportation of pupils enrolled in special
34	34	6education programs, in the manner hereinafter defined, provided that such transportation services
35	35	7are required by the individual educational plan of each such pupil, that such services are not
36	36	8normally provided to pupils enrolled in regular day program in said city, town, regional school
37	37	9district or independent vocational school, and that the expenditures for such services are not
38	38	10eligible for reimbursement under section 5A of this chapter. Such reimbursement shall include:
39	39	11first, an amount for each such pupil enrolled in a special education program which is equal to the
40	40	12average transportation services expenditure per pupil enrolled in regular day program in said 2 of 3
41	41	13city, town, regional school district or independent vocational school during said fiscal year; and
42	42	14second, the entire amount by which each of the average transportation services expenditures per
43	43	15pupil enrolled in each special education program prototype, as defined in regulations
44	44	16promulgated under this chapter, in said city, town, regional school district or independent
45	45	17vocational school during said fiscal year may exceed the aforesaid average transportation
46	46	18services expenditure per pupil enrolled in regular day program. In no instance, however, shall the
47	47	19amount of reimbursement for such excess cost within such special education program prototype
48	48	20exceed one hundred and ten per cent of the averages of such excess costs in all cities, towns,
49	49	21regional school districts and independent vocational schools during the fiscal year in which such
50	50	22expenditures were made.
51	51	23 In determining each said average transportation services expenditure per pupil enrolled in
52	52	24regular day program in each city, town, regional school district and independent vocational
53	53	25school, the department of elementary and secondary education shall use the transportation
54	54	26services expenditure per pupil eligible for reimbursement under sections 7 A, 7B or 16C of
55	55	27chapter 71, whichever is higher, during the same fiscal year. The commissioner of elementary
56	56	28and secondary education may, by regulation, under the direction of the state board of elementary
57	57	29and secondary education, further define the expenditures per pupil to be used in aforesaid
58	58	30computations.
59	59	31 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, reimbursements
60	60	32authorized under section 14 of chapter 71B of the general laws, as inserted by this act, shall be
61	61	33made in accordance with the following funding schedule: (i) not less than 25 per cent of the total
62	62	34eligible state obligation in fiscal year 2026; (ii) not less than 50 per cent of the total eligible state
63	63	35obligation in fiscal year 2027; (iii) not less than 75 per cent of the total eligible state obligation in 3 of 3
64	64	36fiscal year 2028; and (iv) not less than 100 per cent of the total eligible state obligation in fiscal
65	65	37year 2029 and in subsequent fiscal years.
66	66	38 SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, reimbursements
67	67	39authorized under section 7A of chapter 71 of the general laws shall be made in accordance with
68	68	40the following funding schedule: (i) not less than 25 per cent of the total eligible state obligation
69	69	41in fiscal year 2026; (ii) not less than 50 per cent of the total eligible state obligation in fiscal year
70	70	422027; (iii) not less than 75 per cent of the total eligible state obligation in fiscal year 2028; and
71	71	43(iv) not less than 100 per cent of the total eligible state obligation in fiscal year 2029 and in
72	72	44subsequent fiscal years.