Massachusetts H 546: An Act to ensure equitable access to education, including special education services, for all students in Massachusetts

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2933        FILED ON: 1/16/2025 
HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 546 
 
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
_________________ 
PRESENTED BY: 
Marjorie C. Decker 
_________________ 
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 to ensure equitable access to education, including special education services, for all 
students in Massachusetts. 
_______________ 
PETITION OF: 
 
NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED: 
Marjorie C. Decker 25th Middlesex 1/16/2025 
Estela A. Reyes 4th Essex 5/28/2025 

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2933        FILED ON: 1/16/2025 
HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 546 
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 546) of 
Marjorie C. Decker for legislation to ensure equitable access to education.  Education. 
 
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
 
_______________
 
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court 
(2025-2026) 
_______________
 
 
An Act to ensure equitable access to education, including special education services, for all 
students in Massachusetts. 
 
 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 1I of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fifth paragraph the following 
3paragraph: -  
4 In order for the department to: address educational inequities through a data-driven 
5approach; report data in a manner that specifies the demographics of students facing the most 
6significant inequities; and ensure that educational inequities can be effectively identified and 
7addressed; The department shall annually analyze and publish in an easily accessible and user 
8friendly manner the student-specific data provided by school committees and charter schools 
9pursuant to: section 1I of Chapter 69; sections 37G, 2 of 4 10 37H, 37O, 37P, and 89 of Chapter 
1071 of the General Laws; sections 3 and 7 of Chapter 71A of  the General Laws; section 6 of 
11Chapter 71B of the General Laws; section 2A of Chapter 72 of the General Laws; statewide 
12assessment data utilized as a basis for competency determinations pursuant to section 1D of 

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13chapter 69 of the General Laws; and any other data required by the federal office of education, 
14provided that said data required by the federal department of education is also student-specific 
15data and can be cross-tabulated. The department shall provide said data in a manner that can be 
16easily cross-tabulated by, at a minimum, the following student status and categories: racial and 
17ethnic group; gender; socioeconomic status; high needs status; English learner status; category of 
18disability; and homeless children and youth, if applicable. The information shall be presented 
19statewide and also disaggregated by school committee, charter school, and individual school in a 
20manner that is anonymized and does not reveal personally identifiable information about an 
21individual student. Publication shall include, but need not be limited to, availability on the 
22department's worldwide web site.  
23 SECTION 2. Said section 1I of said chapter 69, as so appearing, is further amended by 
24striking out, in line 239, the word “and”.  
25 SECTION 3. Said section 1I of said chapter 69, as so appearing, is hereby further 
26amended by inserting after the word “learners”, in line 241, the following words:-- ; and (i) The 
27number of children, by grade level, within each disability category receiving specific special 
28education services, including but not limited to: each related service; assistive technology, 
29including but not limited to augmentative and alternative communication; supplementary aids 
30and services; positive behavioral interventions and supports; behavioral intervention plans; 
31vocational education; travel training; and community-based transition 3 of 4 services; provided 
32further that school districts and charter schools shall only be required to provide said information 
33regarding number of children receiving specific special education services when the department 
34provides school committees with an online web-based IEP application aligned with the special 
35education services requiring reporting under this section.  

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36 SECTION 4. Section 6 of Chapter 71B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 
37Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following sentences:- 
38School committees shall also annually report to the department, pursuant to regulations 
39promulgated by the department, delivery of specific special education services by each major 
40racial and ethnic gro