Massachusetts SD 1855: An Act responding to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a moratorium on the administration of the MCAS test for the 2020-2021 school year

Bill Text

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1855 FILED ON: 2/18/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 297

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Joanne M. Comerford
_________________
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 responding to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a moratorium on the
administration of the MCAS test for the 2020-2021 school year.
_______________
PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS:
Joanne M. Comerford Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Mindy Domb 3rd Hampshire 2/19/2021
Maria Duaime Robinson 6th Middlesex 2/19/2021
Christina A. Minicucci 14th Essex 2/22/2021
Sheila C. Harrington 1st Middlesex 2/25/2021
Brendan P. Crighton Third Essex 3/1/2021
James J. O'Day 14th Worcester 3/4/2021
Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. 12th Hampden 3/5/2021
Carmine Lawrence Gentile 13th Middlesex 3/8/2021
Michael O. Moore Second Worcester 3/9/2021
John H. Rogers 12th Norfolk 3/9/2021
Christopher Hendricks 11th Bristol 3/10/2021
Anne M. Gobi Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and
Middlesex
3/12/2021
Eric P. Lesser First Hampden and Hampshire 3/12/2021
Elizabeth A. Malia 11th Suffolk 3/16/2021
Patricia D. Jehlen Second Middlesex 3/19/2021

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Adam Gomez Hampden 3/23/2021
Sal N. DiDomenico Middlesex and Suffolk 3/26/2021
Patrick M. O'Connor Plymouth and Norfolk 3/26/2021
Meghan Kilcoyne 12th Worcester 3/26/2021
Joan B. Lovely Second Essex 3/29/2021
Mary S. Keefe 15th Worcester 4/4/2021
John J. Cronin Worcester and Middlesex 4/11/2021
Adam G. Hinds Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and
Hampden
4/20/2021
Marc R. Pacheco First Plymouth and Bristol 5/11/2021

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1855 FILED ON: 2/18/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 297
By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 297) of Joanne M. Comerford,
Mindy Domb, Maria Duaime Robinson, Christina A. Minicucci and other members of the
General Court for legislation to respond to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a
moratorium of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. Education.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2814 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)
_______________

An Act responding to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a moratorium on the
administration of the MCAS test for the 2020-2021 school year.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
establish forthwith a moratorium on the administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive
Assessment System in response to the COVID-19 emergency, therefore it is hereby declared to
be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
2 commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall submit to the United States
3 Department of Education a request that the Commonwealth’s statewide assessment,
4 accountability and reporting requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act be
5 waived for the 2020-2021 school year. The request shall be made pursuant to section 8401 of the
6 Elementary and Secondary Education Act and shall include a request to waive the assessment

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7 requirements in section 1111(b)(2); the accountability and school identification requirements in
8 sections 1111(c)(4) and 1111(d)(2)(C)-(D); and the report card provisions related to assessments
9 and accountability in section 1111(h).
10 SECTION 2. Upon receipt of a waiver under section 1 or any other authority under
11 federal law, rule or regulation, notwithstanding sections 1D and 1I of chapter 69 of the General
12 Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the department of elementary and
13 secondary education shall not administer, implement or use the Massachusetts Comprehensive
14 Assessment System exam for any purpose for the 2020-2021 school year.