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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 346 FILED ON: 1/12/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 417 |
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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 | | Patrick M. O'Connor |
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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 relative to recess for elementary and middle school students. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and NorfolkAngelo J. Puppolo, Jr.12th Hampden1/28/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/30/2025Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/30/2025Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/7/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/12/2025Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex2/20/2025Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex2/26/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/28/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 346 FILED ON: 1/12/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 417 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. O'Connor, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 417) of Patrick M. O'Connor, |
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| 19 | 19 | | Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., Joanne M. Comerford, Vanna Howard and other members of the General |
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| 20 | 20 | | Court for legislation relative to mandatory recess for elementary and middle school students. |
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| 21 | 21 | | Education. |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act relative to recess for elementary and middle school students. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 3 the |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2following new section:- |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3 Section 3A. (a) Except as otherwise herein provided, all students in grades kindergarten |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4through eight attending a public or charter school in the commonwealth shall receive at least |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5thirty consecutive minutes of supervised, safe, and unstructured free-play recess per school day |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6which shall be held outdoors whenever the weather and air quality permits. If recess is held |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7indoors due to weather or air quality, a public or charter school shall use an appropriate space |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8that promotes physical activity. As used herein, the term "free-play recess" shall mean an |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9unstructured environment that is supervised by appropriate school personnel or staff. |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10 (b) No public or charter school serving students in grades kindergarten through eight |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11shall decrease the amount of time it allots and provides to students for free-play recess as a result 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12of any changes in standards or curriculum that the school is required to or chooses to adopt and |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13shall not withhold recess for the purposes of providing academic or other services under an |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14individualized education plan, 504 or other student support service, including the completion of |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15ordinary classroom work. The department shall not exclude recess from structured learning time |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16requirements for students in grades kindergarten through eight and shall not increase the total |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17number of hours required in the school year to meet the provisions of this section. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18 (c) A public or charter school serving students in grades kindergarten through eight may |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19provide less than thirty consecutive minutes of free-play recess on school days with delayed |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20openings, early dismissals or other schedule changes that result in a school day that is shorter |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21than a standard day in said public or charter school. The requirements of this section shall not |
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| 51 | 51 | | 22apply to school days in which there is a field trip. |
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