Massachusetts H 4416: An Act authorizing the town of Dedham to convert a license for the sale of wine and malt beverages not to be drunk on the premises to a license for the sale of all alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises

Bill Text

HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4416

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, to
whom were referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 227) of
Tricia Farley-Bouvier and others relative to protecting benefits owed to
foster children; and the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 262) of
Jay D. Livingstone relative to enhancing child welfare protections, reports
recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4416) ought to
pass.

For the committee,

JAY D. LIVINGSTONE.

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FILED ON: 8/4/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4416

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 enhancing child welfare protections.

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. Clause (22) of subsection (a) of section 172 of chapter 6 of the General
2 Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 133,
3 the words “2A of chapter 38” and inserting in place thereof the following words: “15 of chapter
4 18C.”
5 SECTION 2. Section 6A of chapter 18B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
6 amended by striking out the fifth paragraph.
7 SECTION 3. Chapter 18B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
8 inserting after section 6A the following subsection:-
9 Section 6B.(a) The commissioner or a designee shall appoint an education director who
10 shall establish an education unit within the department. The director shall appoint, subject to the
11 approval of the commissioner or designee, the members of the unit called education specialists
12 who shall be employees of the department and shall devote their full time exclusively to support
13 the department’s goal of educational stability and success for all elementary and secondary

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14 school students under the care and custody of the department. (b)The education director’s duties
15 shall include, but shall not be limited to: (i) developing, implementing and overseeing the
16 department’s policies on education for children under the care and custody of the department,
17 including policy development and practice guidance; (ii) monitoring state and federal laws,
18 programs and resources that may impact the education of children under the care and custody of
19 the department; (iii) advising the commissioner and all education specialists on all matters
20 relating to education, strategic education initiatives, policy, and practice management matters;
21 (iv) coordinating efforts of the education specialists to identify and address systemic barriers to
22 accessing educational services for children under the care and custody of the department,
23 including issues related to transportation for children in department care or custody to attend
24 their school of origin; (v) coordinating with department area and regional offices on education
25 related issues; and (vi) facilitating best practice training for education specialists. The education
26 director shall perform such duties as are described in this chapter and such other duties as may be
27 assigned by the commissioner. (c)The focus of the education unit shall include, but shall not be
28 limited to: (i) implementing and overseeing the regional and area office’s work on education for
29 children receiving services from the department, consistent with the policies created by the
30 department’s education director; (ii) monitoring student academic progress of children under the
31 care and custody of the area office not less than once per academic quarter; (iii) providing
32 support and assistance to department social workers regarding educational needs of children; (iv)
33 providing detailed training to department social workers on the best practices to monitor a child’s
34 education experiences, recognizing any unavailability of resources preventing a child from
35 participating in school courses, and developing individual education plans or 504 plan; (v)
36 ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of the transfer of education records detailing a child’s

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37 educational background and needs; and (vi) maintaining contact with appropriate local school
38 districts and education organizations to facilitate enrollment, information sharing, and placement
39 of children into school districts served by the area office. (d) An education specialist may
40 accompany social workers to meetings with school personnel, including but not limited to
41 meetings relative to a child’s individual education plan or 504 plan.
42 SECTION 4. Section 7 of said chapter 18B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
43 striking out subsection (e).
44 SECTION 5. Section 20 of said chapter 18B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
45 striking