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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 38 FILED ON: 1/6/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 928
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Lydia Edwards
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Lydia EdwardsThird Suffolk 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 38 FILED ON: 1/6/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 928
By Ms. Edwards, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 928) of Lydia Edwards for
legislation to ban legacy preferences in higher education. Higher Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 821 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 9 of Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fourth paragraph the following:
3 For purposes of this paragraph, a public higher education institution shall mean a school
4in the University of Massachusetts segment or in the state university segment of the system of
5public institutions of higher education established in section 5 of chapter 15A. When deciding
6whether to grant admission to an applicant, a public higher education institution shall not
7consider the applicant’s familial relationship to a graduate of the institution. A public higher
8education institution shall not include in the documents that it uses to consider an applicant for
9admission information that discloses the name of any college or university that any relative of
10the applicant attended. 2 of 2
11 SECTION 2. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
12inserting after section 30A the following:
13 Section 30B. When deciding whether to grant admission to an applicant, a degree-
14granting institution of higher education located in the commonwealth authorized to grant degrees
15by the board of higher education shall not consider the applicant’s familial relationship to a
16graduate of the institution. Such institution shall not include in the documents that it uses to
17consider an applicant for admission information that discloses the name of any college or
18university that any relative of the applicant attended.
19 SECTION 3. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect for admission decisions that lead to an
20applicant’s initial enrollment in a public higher education institution in the 2026-2027 school
21year.