The 194th General Court of the State Legislature began on January 1, 2025 and ends on December 31, 2026. During this two year span, we have new opportunities to advocate for and advance the issues and investments most critical to supporting our schools, students, and the working families of the Commonwealth.
We are in the very beginning stages of the Legislative session. At this point, legislation has been provided docket numbers - which serve as holding numbers for the clerks to keep track of the thousands of pieces of legislation that are filed. The next step is for each one to get a bill number (the number that will be used to track the legislation going forward) and assigned to a Joint Committee for initial consideration. Before it can advance to the floor for a vote, each bill must receive a public hearing, hosted by the Committee it’s housed in. These are great opportunities for us to testify about a bill’s impact and show a united front of support to the legislature – so stay tuned!
We will continue to update this page with information on where these bills are in the legislative process and provide any other details or pertinent information.
EARLY CHILDHOOD AND K-12 EDUCATION
An Act relative to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
SD. 1359 | Senator Patricia Jehlen
Alters the membership of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education by removing a prohibition on employees of the Commonwealth serving on the Board, and by adding representatives from various teachers unions.
HD. 2083 | Representatives Steven Ultrino and Sean Garballey
Repeals the requirement that members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education cannot be employed by or receive regular compensation from the department of education, or from any school system, public or independent, in the commonwealth, or serve as a member of any school committee.
An Act relative to the long-term fiscal health and sustainability of special education in the Commonwealth
SD. 2149 | Senator Jake Oliveira
HD. 3759 | Representatives Adam Scanlon and Michael Kushmerek
Establishes a commission to study the long-term fiscal health and sustainability of Special Education in the Commonwealth, including the distribution of funding a more equitable system (so that schools serving more students with special needs get more money), covering the costs of out-of-district placements for students with extraordinary needs, and working toward fully funding the circuit breaker.
An Act eliminating education funding inflation gap
SD. 1973 | Senator Sal DiDomenico
Amends the inflation calculation component of the Chapter 70 K-12 school funding formula by deleting the 4.5 percent cap on inflation adjustments and inserting language that calculates inflation by comparing it to the same period two years earlier.
An Act modernizing school construction
SD. 1070 | Sen. Brendan Crighton
HD. 3809 | Rep. Dan Cahill
Overhauls the funding formula for the Massachusetts School Building Authority to provide more opportunities for investment in projects that would benefit low-income communities. Sales tax revenue automatically earmarked for the MSBA would be doubled while lifting the cap on reimbursement.
An Act ensuring high quality pre-kindergarten education
SD. 1762 | Senator Sal DiDomenico
Establishes a high quality pre-kindergarten education grant program to support the implementation of high quality pre-kindergarten programs for children between the ages of 2 years and 9 months and the age a child becomes eligible for kindergarten.
An Act relative to healthy and sustainable schools
House Docket 2368 | Representative Marjorie Decker
Senate Docket 2303 | Senator Paul Feeney
Establishes a statewide goal to decarbonize public schools, public universities, and community colleges by mandating and facilitating energy audits, efficiency upgrades, and solar power. Schools located in environmental justice communities would receive priority for energy audits and energy efficiency improvements. In addition to creating union jobs, it calls for projects to prioritize hiring from pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, creating opportunities for students.
An Act relative to charter school expansion
HD. 3660| Rep. Richard Haggerty
If BESE rejects a charter school’s expansion plan, there must be a 3-year cooling off period before the charter school can re-apply.
An Act relative to local approval for charter schools
HD. 150 | Rep. Adam Scanlon
SD. 590 | Senator Michael Moore
Requires a locally elected body to authorize local funds being allocated for a charter school. If a municipal board has voted against a local charter school expanding in their district and BESE votes to allow said charter expansion to go forward, it is incumbent on the Board to provide the funding to the charter school, it shall not come from the community’s Chapter 70 funding.
An Act implementing elementary and secondary interdisciplinary climate literacy education
SD. 896 | Sen. Jason Lewis
HD. 1596 | Rep. Mindy Domb
Requires climate literacy education in our schools to provide students with the knowledge and skills to fully understand and address climate change in their communities.
An Act to expand student opportunities in career technical education
SD. 1353 | Senator John Cronin
Allows cities or towns that are part of a regional vocational school district to introduce vocational technical education programs in their municipal high schools, subject to Chapter 74 regulations
An Act to promote comprehensive and inclusive curriculum in schools
HD. 2271 | Representatives Tram Nguyen and Steven Ultrino
SD. 1289 | Senator Adam Gomez
Establishes a Comprehensive and Inclusive Curriculum Trust Fund to provide funding for public schools to develop culturally inclusive curriculum, including the teaching of accurate histories, writings, and contributions of racial and ethnic groups that have been historically underrepresented or marginalized.
An Act relative to charter school procurement
HD. 2011 | Rep. Steven Ultrino
Adds charter schools explicitly to the uniform procurement act
An Act requiring financial education in schools
SD. 1175 | Sen. Patrick O’Connor
HD. 46 | Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg
HD. 931 | Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian
Establishes the Financial Literacy Trust Fund to provide resources for curriculum development and teacher training with priority support for underserved communities and schools that are new to implementing financial literacy programs.
An Act Fulfilling the Promise of Education Reform
SD. 1825 | Senator Sal DiDomenico
HD. 2046 | Representatives Andy Vargas and Manny Cruz
Establishes a Special Commission to study the current status, structures, future vision and needs of public education which will include but not be limited to all aspects of where we want public education to be in five to ten years.
An Act relative to recess for elementary and middle school students
HD. 2222 | Representative Marjorie Decker
Ensures that all students in grades K-8 receive at least 30 minutes of free-play recess per school day.
An Act to establish a community schools special legislative commission
SD. 2060 | Sen. Paul Mark
HD. 1108 | Rep. Chynah Tyler
Establishes a legislative commission dedicated to examining the implementation and effectiveness of community schools in Massachusetts.
An Act promoting safe technology use and distraction-free education for youth
SD. 654 | Sen. Julian Cyr
Requires public schools in Massachusetts to develop and implement policies governing the use of personal electronic devices.
HIGHER EDUCATION
An Act relative to the rights of faculty members at UMass
SD. 1031 | Sen. Patricia Jehlen
If a faculty member requests, they shall have a right to an open meeting, or with counsel at an executive session, for a tenure decision by the UMass Board of Trustees.
An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education
SD. 38 | Senator Lydia Edwards
HD. 3615 | Rep. Mike Moran
Bans legacy preferences in higher education within the Commonwealth. Public higher education institutions (including the UMass system and all public universities and colleges) could not consider if an applicant has a family tie to the college or university when determining admission.
An Act relative to debt-free public higher education
SD. 300 | Sen. James Eldridge
HD. 1473 | Rep. Natalie Higgins
Creates a grant program to pay the equivalent of tuition and mandatory fees to all eligible students at any Massachusetts public college or university.
An Act streamlining state employee collective bargaining
HD. 2698 | Rep. Rodney Elliot
SD. 1487 | Sen. Pavel Payano
Collective bargaining agreements will automatically be enacted within thirty days unless explicitly rejected by the general court or withdrawn by the governor.
RETIRING WITH DIGNITY
An Act relative to benefits for teachers/An Act relative to teacher retirement election
HD 3452 | Representatives Alice Peisch and Rob Consalvo
SD 2208 | Senator Liz Miranda
Allows teachers hired before July 1, 2001, who did not provide a written election to participate in RetirementPlus, to have an opportunity to do so.
An Act relative to creditable service for school nurses
SD. 63 | Senator Michael Brady
HD. 1468 | Rep. Kathleen LaNatra
Improves creditable service for school nurses for periods of work in the field.
An Act to provide fair and affordable public retiree benefits
SD. 256 | Senator Julian Cyr
HD. 1839 | Representative Daniel Donohue
Calls for immediately increasing the COLA base to $18,000, and then gradually increasing the base until it reaches the maximum social security benefit for an individual worker retiring at full retirement age. Also mandates that the maximum out-of-pocket health care coverage costs for retirees over the age of 65 who are not eligible for Medicare would be $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families.
An Act enabling employees on unpaid parental leave to purchase creditable service
HD. 4151 | Rep. Sean Reid
Allow retirement system members to purchase up to two years of parental leave.
An Act relative to non-public school service
SD. 566 | Sen. Mike Rush
Allows vested retirement system members to purchase service for up to four years of time worked in non-public schools.
An Act to provide retirement incentives in public higher education
HD. 250 | Rep. Carmine Gentile
Establishes a retirement incentive for employees of state universities.
An Act providing creditable service for certain teachers
HD, 1071 | Rep. Dan Hunt
Allow purchase of creditable service for layoffs due to budgetary reasons.
MEMBER BENEFITS
An Act relative to educator pay
SD. 1019 | Sen. Adam Gomez
HD. 969 | Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven
Increases salary minimums to $70K for teachers and $55K for paraprofessionals and adjusts for inflation.
An Act relative to establishing a tuition free program for teachers and paraprofessionals
HD. 1273 | Representatives Steven Ultrino and Vanna Howard
Allow any public school teacher or paraprofessional currently working in the Commonwealth to attend courses at the state’s public institutions of higher education at no cost.
An Act to restore collective bargaining for teachers and other school employees
House Docket 3268
Sponsor: Representative Marjorie Decker
Restores Collective Bargaining to Level 4 and 5 Schools and Districts, Horace Mann and Innovation Schools.
An Act uplifting families and securing the right to strike for certain public employees
SD. 1029 | Senator James Eldridge
HD. 2014 | Representatives Mike Connolly and Erica Uyterhoeven
Repeals the ban on certain public employees or their union from engaging in a strike.
An Act to establish comprehensive rights and career advancement for contingent faculty in public higher education
SD. 1664 | Sen. James Eldridge
Establishes a number of rights for contingent faculty, including access to professional development opportunities, employment security provisions, and a clear system structure for pay and benefits to ensure equity.
An Act to establish a master of library science assistance program
SD. 1870 | Sen. Paul Feeney
Establish a MS in Library Science Tuition Assistance Grant Program.
An Act to provide paid family and medical leave to educators and municipal employees
HD.2974 | Rep. Mike Connolly
Extends Paid Family and Medical Leave to public K-12 educators and other municipal employees with state reimbursing municipalities.
CIVIL RIGHTS, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, AND PROTECTING ACCESS TO CARE
An Act ensuring our freedom to read in the Commonwealth
HD. 2546 | Representative James Hawkins
Allow public library systems to acquire materials without external limitations and protect them against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials. Also calls for the adoption of the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights.
An Act regarding free expression
SD. 141 | Sen. Julian A. Cyr
HD. 625 | Rep. John Moran
Standards to protect books from being removed from public places.
An Act relative to student and educator data privacy
HD. 842 | Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian
Protects the privacy of students and educators.
An Act combatting offshore tax avoidance
SD. 1684 | Senators Jason Lewis and Liz Miranda
HD. 3390 | Rep. Gonzalez
Use GILTI to tax excess profits in offshore tax havens.