Imposes enforceable penalties for employer delays in submitting required payroll and employment data to retirement systems, authorizing boards or the commission-after written notice and a 30-day cure period-to levy $100-per-day fines, petition the Superior Court to compel compliance, and deposit penalties in the Commonwealth Pension Liability Fund or the applicable board's pension fund to offset operating expenses.

Requires employers with members in the Teachers' Retirement System to remit monthly withholdings and complete, accurate data to the Teachers' Retirement Board by the 10th of the following month; assesses monthly interest on late withholdings at the system's actuarial assumed rate of return until paid and penalizes defective or untimely data at $100 per day after notice and a 30-day cure period. Authorizes the Teachers' Retirement Board to abate interest or penalties when noncompliance was not willful, intentional, grossly negligent, or part of a pattern, directs these receipts to the system's expense fund, and applies these changes as of January 1, 2022.

This bill filed by the Governor authorizes a capital improvements program for public higher education institutions to support both their educational missions and regional economic development. The bill authorizes bond funding for a range of projects—including deferred maintenance, modernization, decarbonization initiatives, repairs, construction, renovations, and adaptive reuse of campus facilities—covering state colleges, community colleges, and the University of Massachusetts. All projects must conform to campus master plans that are developed in consultation with institutional leadership and approved by state officials. The bill also earmarks funds for laboratory modernization, student support infrastructure, and technology capital projects that facilitate remote and hybrid learning. The financing of these improvements is realigned through the issuance of special obligation bonds. The bill also sets up a procedure for the sale of surplus owned by a higher education institution.

This bill focuses on regulating artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision systems (ADS) within workplaces. It sets forth comprehensive guidelines for the deployment of electronic monitoring tools by employers, which can only be employed for specific purposes such as quality control, compliance, or workplace safety, with minimal and only necessary data collection. Employers are required to provide written notice and obtain employee consent before implementing these tools, clearly specifying their purpose, the data collected, and retention policies, and ensuring they adopt the least invasive monitoring methods. It also mandates the maintenance of detailed compliance records and the protection of data confidentiality and integrity. Restrictions include provisions banning monitoring to obtain health or other private information about employees, and may not take place in bathrooms, locker rooms, lounges and similar spaces. Importantly, the bill prohibits using electronic monitoring data for disciplinary actions unless performance standards have been disclosed to employees with proper notice.

Additionally, the bill governs the use of automated employment decision tools, requiring these tools to undergo impact assessments by independent auditors. These assessments must evaluate the tools' validity, potential biases, and effects on protected groups, ensuring they do not foster discrimination and are not solely relied upon for employment decisions. Meaningful human oversight is required, and employers must inform employees and candidates about their use, offering alternatives or accommodations as necessary. The bill specifically bans the use of ADS with facial or emotion recognition technologies unless essential for security reasons, protects employees from retaliatory actions when challenging AI outputs, and mandates regular impact assessments by state agencies to avoid discriminatory outcomes. Moreover, it restricts the use of automated decision systems in public services unless authorized by law, aiming for transparency and accountability in the use of AI and ADS within state operations.

Repeals a specific section of a 1995 act, as amended in 2014.

This bill regulates and mostly bans the use  per-  and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in childrens products, including banning the sale or distribution of children’s products with intentionally added PFAS. The bill also requires DEP to measure PFAS content and compile a list of toxic chemicals identified as carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and other harmful classifications. 

This bill concerns MassHealth reimbursements to local educational agencies for school-based health-related services. Under this bill, local educational agencies must enroll as MassHealth providers and develop plans to secure reimbursements for services offered to eligible MassHealth recipients. These services will be reimbursable regardless of a child’s involvement in an individualized education program or other health plans. MassHealth funds are to be used for supplementing the cost of school-based health services, including the expansion of behavioral health support, case management, health education, and social-emotional learning.

Requires school districts to annually distribute and post a notice on secure firearm storage, using model content developed by the Department in consultation with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

Mandates that the model explain the life-saving importance of secure storage in homes and vehicles, the risks posed by unsecured firearms to children, teens, schools, and the broader community, and actions the school community can take, including awareness of secure storage requirements and available suicide prevention and other behavioral health or educational resources. Requires the Department to publish the content in English and additional languages reflecting local needs, review it annually, and directs each district's Office of the Superintendent and School Committee to collaborate on distribution.

Establishes the Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Trust Fund, credited with appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, and interest, and authorizes the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education to expend it without further appropriation to develop and implement K-12 Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Plans, including curricular materials, educator professional development, best-practice sharing, and technical assistance, with priority to underserved and environmental justice communities and first-time implementers.

Creates an Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Advisory Council and requires the Commissioner, in consultation with the Council, to issue guidelines for district-level plans developed with youth involvement, consultation with environmental and civics partners, culturally competent instruction, and opportunities for English language learners. Authorizes districts to implement plans addressing the causes and impacts of anthropogenic climate change, environmental justice, the climate system, evidence-based policy options and the role of activism, and skills to find credible information, communicate effectively, and make informed decisions; directs the Department to use the fund to support implementation and to provide annual reports on fund receipts, expenditures, recipients, and projected student beneficiaries.

Strengthens evaluation and services for English learners in special education by requiring school committees to consider students' English proficiency, administer assessments in the child's primary language in forms most likely to yield accurate information, ensure IEP teams include participants with expertise in second-language acquisition and the student's language needs, and mandate IEPs that address both English language and special education needs.

Prohibits school districts from recommending that parents decline any English learner program services, including for scheduling reasons, and requires English learner programs to address any academic deficits resulting from a focus on language acquisition within a reasonable amount of time.

Requires the Board to ensure meaningful communication with parents and guardians through qualified, bilingual, trained interpreters and translators; expands school anti-discrimination protections to include immigration or citizenship status and disability; and directs the Department to promulgate regulations to maintain and enforce specified federal provisions as of January 1, 2025.

This bill requires schools to limit student access to personal electronic devices during the school day. Exceptions are made for emergencies or educational needs. Schools must communicate these policies to parents and submit them to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for oversight and guidance. Schools must also educate students on the social, emotional, and physical risks of social media use.

Social media platforms must implement nearly foolproof age verification systems and establish default privacy-focused settings for minors, including permitting communication and content sharing only with established connections, disabling features like autoplay and continuous scrolling, and barring access during certain hours, such as nighttime and school hours. Platforms are also required to include mechanisms for flagging unwanted content and must issue health warnings related to social media use. 

Establishes a 15-member special legislative commission on community schools to investigate models and recommend strategies for statewide adoption, co-chaired by the House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on Education and including the Secretaries of Education and of Health and Human Services, designated union and nonprofit representatives, and seven gubernatorial appointees representing students, a parent, district and school leaders, a community school coordinator, and a community-based organization, with attention to rural, urban, and suburban representation.

Requires the commission to meet at least bimonthly to analyze implementation systems and trends, review other jurisdictions' policies, assess current adoption and outcomes, define essential elements-including as an equity strategy-evaluate research evidence such as impacts on absenteeism, and identify legal, regulatory, information and training, and funding barriers. Directs the commission to file by February 15, 2026 a report with specific recommendations, including legislative or regulatory changes, policies to codify definitions, strategies and sustainable funding streams to incentivize statewide adoption, and a design for a statewide community school pilot program specifying eligible communities, required resources, funding award processes, and data and evaluation criteria. Defines "Community School" and "Community Schools strategy."

Prohibits the Public Fund and its Board from holding investments in "WMD Entities"-entities that manufacture, produce, promote, sell, distribute, or facilitate weapons of mass destruction-requiring identification of such holdings within 30 days, full divestment within 12 months, amendments to investment policies to bar future investments, and directives to external managers to divest or carve out assets into comparable actively managed funds free of such holdings.

Requires State Agencies to review and identify existing contracts with WMD Entities, promptly terminate them as practicable, and refrain from entering new contracts with such entities; exempts the Public Fund from conflicting legal obligations for good-faith determinations identifying WMD Entities, indemnifies Board members, state officers and employees, and contracted investment managers for decisions to restrict, reduce, or eliminate these investments, and requires annual reporting on divestment actions and remaining prohibited holdings.

Requires high school students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid before graduation, while allowing opt-outs via a simple, translated form signed by a parent or guardian or by a student who is 18 or legally emancipated, or via a school-filed waiver for minors after good-faith outreach that includes at least three personalized communications in the family's preferred language. Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and school districts to provide necessary support, adopt standardized forms that collect only names and signatures and exclude citizenship information, ensure each student complies with the requirement or an exemption, and submit annual reports on FAFSA completions and exemptions with demographic and geographic breakdowns; the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education shall issue implementation guidance and required communications.

Establishes a FAFSA Trust Fund, administered by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education and funded by appropriations, interest, and public and private contributions, available without further appropriation to support implementation, training, workshops, and community partnerships, prioritizing underserved communities; private donations are subject to review to bar harmful conditions, with an annual report on fund activity. Makes the fund effective October 1, 2025, and the FAFSA requirement effective October 1, 2026.

This bill establishes an Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, aimed at providing immigration legal services to eligible immigrants and refugees, with a focus on those in federal detention or facing removal proceedings. Administered by the Office for Refugees and Immigrants, the fund administers a competitive grant program that supports nonprofit organizations, law firms, and qualified private attorneys experienced in immigration law. Priority for legal services will go to individuals detained or facing immediate deportation risks. A Coordinator will offer logistical support, technical assistance, and training to legal professionals. The fund will receive revenue through a line-item in the state budget as well as external sources.

Overhauls private-sector labor relations by activating state protections whenever federal preemption or National Labor Relations Board jurisdiction lapses, providing for prompt certification of previously certified bargaining units and preservation of existing terms during verification, and empowering the Department of Labor Relations, with review by the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board, to exclusively adjudicate unfair labor practices with expanded remedies including back pay without mitigation, front pay, consequential and treble liquidated damages, punitive damages, civil penalties, interim injunctive relief, and personal liability for corporate officers.

Broadens coverage by redefining employer and employee to include health care facilities, nonprofits, and government-funded vendors; adopting a joint-employer standard based on shared, direct, indirect, or reserved control; and presuming workers are employees unless they satisfy a three-part independent-contractor test.

Modernizes organizing and elections by recognizing written majority authorization-authorization cards, petitions, or electronic signatures dated within 12 months-for exclusive-representative status, requiring draft regulations within 90 days for electronic signature verification, authorizing remote electronic representation elections, and barring captive-audience meetings and employer electioneering without an opt-out during the post-petition critical period while ensuring unions equal access to communicate upon request.

Strengthens worker rights by prohibiting permanent replacement of strikers, retaliation against returning strikers, and pre-strike lockouts to influence bargaining; barring misclassification and misrepresentations of coverage; authorizing agency service fees in lieu of membership; mandating public reporting by consultants hired to persuade employees or monitor labor activity; and updating notice requirements for concerted refusals to work at health care institutions.

This bill proposes a series of incremental increases to the minimum wage in Massachusetts, and includes a mechanism to adjust it based on inflation. The bill raises the minimum wage in successive annual increments from the current $15.00 to $16.25, then to $17.50, $18.75, and finally reaching $20.00 in 2029. For employees earning a subminimum wage, incremental raises are also outlined, progressing from $6.75 to $7.92, $9.19, and $10.55, ultimately adjusting to 60 percent of the calculated minimum wage by 2030. Additionally, the bill mandates that starting in 2030, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will determine an adjusted minimum wage reflecting inflation changes, using the consumer price index for urban wage earners.

This bill concerns protections and benefits for agricultural and farm workers.Under the bill, the minimum wage for agricultural employees is set at the general minimum wage. Also, agricultural employees accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, with a maximum accrual of 55 hours per year. This leave can be taken for any reason with appropriate notice and cannot be replaced with sick leave or result in retaliation. Employers may also offer more generous leave policies at their discretion. Also, the bill provides that agricultural workers working for eight or more hours in a day are entitled to two paid 15-minute breaks, with break areas required to have regulated temperatures and access to hydration. The Department of Labor Standards is responsible for establishing regulations to ensure safe and suitable conditions for these breaks, particularly during extreme temperatures.

This bill allows Massachusetts municipalities to voluntarily adopt local regulations to cap annual rent increases and establish just cause eviction requirements. The bill repeals the current statute limiting local rent control ordinances. Under the bill, municipalities that choose the local option to implement its provisions can limit annual rent increases to the lower of 5% or the change in the Consumer Price Index. Exemptions are provided for certain dwelling units, including those in owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units, units under public regulation, and newly constructed dwellings with certificates of occupancy issued post-January 1, 2021, for a five-year duration.

To adopt these regulations, municipalities must adopt the just causes for eviction set in the law, incorporating actions like nonpayment of rent, refusal to comply with lawful rent increases, significant lease violations, or tenant criminal activity. Additionally, municipalities must submit annual reports to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities detailing the ordinance’s impact, conducted studies, and affected units. Violations of the ordinance are treated as unfair or deceptive practices under chapter 93A of the General Laws, allowing for remedies like restitution and civil penalties.

The "Safe Communities Act" bill limits the role of state law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement. It expressly forbids law enforcement officers from inquiring about an individual's immigration status, including those of crime victims and witnesses, unless mandated by state or federal law. The bill requires that interviews related to immigration enforcement conducted under the custody of law enforcement proceed only with the individual's informed consent. This consent must be obtained through a multilingual written form that clearly communicates the nature of the interview and the individual's rights, including the right to decline the interview or to request the presence of legal counsel.

Additionally, the bill restricts communications with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security by limiting notifications regarding an individual’s release from local or state custody. It mandates that these individuals be informed of any federal requests concerning their detention. The bill also prohibits state and local law enforcement and correctional officers from carrying out immigration enforcement functions and invalidates existing agreements that conflict with this prohibition unless they relate to inter-governmental arrangements for housing detainees with DHS covering daily expenses.

Authorizes school nurses employed in Department of Education-approved schools who are members of the Teachers' Retirement System or a municipal, City of Boston, or state retirement system to purchase up to three years of creditable service for prior nursing work experience. Requires payment to the annuity savings fund before retirement, in a lump sum or installments, equal to 10 percent of the member's regular annual compensation at system entry for each year purchased plus buy back interest, and prohibits any credit or payment until the member has completed at least 10 years of membership service.

Requires eligible members to apply within 90 days of notification after vesting, and allows currently eligible members 90 days from the act's effective date to apply.

Authorizes public authorities, governmental units, and employers to contract with licensed consultants for benefit plan expertise-including renewal reviews, insured-versus-self-insured analysis, claims-to-premium experience tracking, RFPs for medical, pharmacy, dental, and voluntary products, compliance audits and updates, and education for PEC or IAC members-and requires these contracts to specify fees and payment schedules.

Authorizes contracting with licensed brokers to place insurance plans with carriers and requires disclosure of the commission rate or percentage tied to premiums to be paid by the carrier. Prohibits a consultant from acting as a broker for the same entity and defines "consultant" and "broker" consistent with licensing and roles.

Requires the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board to divest, within 60 days of the act's effective date, the Pension Reserves Investment Trust Fund from all stocks, securities, and other obligations of any company that sells weapons to the State of Israel, unless the company announces within 30 days of the effective date that it will not renew or enter into contracts for such sales.

Creates refundable income and corporate excise tax credits for employers of agricultural and farm workers (excluding immediate family), equal to a size-scaled percentage-capped at 40 percent-of the overtime premium paid, with any excess refunded in full without interest. Restructures overtime by applying it after 40 hours to employees engaged solely or primarily in secondary agriculture, while those engaged solely in primary agriculture or in both primary and secondary agriculture receive overtime only after 55 hours.

Redefines "Agricultural and farm work" to distinguish primary from secondary agriculture, adds a definition of "Farm," and removes agricultural and farm work from exclusions in the definition of "Occupation." Directs the Department of Revenue and the Department of Labor Standards to issue regulations within six months to set credit scaling by farm size and clarify the weekly mix of primary and secondary work that triggers the 55-hour threshold.

This bill proposes changing how certain foreign income amounts are handled under state tax law. Under the bill, 50% of revenue received from non-US companies that are controlled by American individuals, federally considered the so-called GILTI income, will be subject to state income tax. These changes are scheduled to be effective for tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025.

This bill adds provisions to state law regarding public and school libraries by establishing comprehensive procedures for selecting and evaluating library materials. It establishes as state policy a right for students to receive information from school libraries determined to be educational and age-appropriate by the school library teacher or school official responsible for the selection of library materials. Library material must be selected in good faith based on professional training and not on personal, political or doctrinal views.

The bill requires school committees to formulate written policies governing the selection and use of library materials, aligning with American Library Association standards. These policies must specify procedures for handling challenges to library materials, guaranteeing their continued availability until a formal review is conducted. Any decision to remove such materials must be subjected to evaluation by both school authorities and designated review committees.

Overhauls employment conditions for contingent faculty at public institutions by requiring minimum per-course pay equal to the pro-rated full-time rate with cost-of-living adjustments, equal day/continuing-education pay, compensation for service and late cancellations, and professional supports; strengthens job security with standard two-year contracts after four successful semesters, 45-day advance course assignments, protection from arbitrary non-renewal, and rights of first refusal for previously taught courses.

Requires each institution to create a multi-tier career advancement framework of at least three tiers with clear criteria tied to teaching excellence and service, priority internal advancement-including consideration for full-time roles and credit for years of service-and full departmental integration with voting rights; eliminates day/continuing-education disparities within two years, places all new contingent hires in the day division, and standardizes benefits, evaluation, and advancement across divisions.

Expands benefits by extending group insurance coverage to contingent faculty who teach at least 25 percent of a full-time load or have taught at least two courses per year for two years, with pro-rated premiums and coverage continuity between semesters; maintains 457(b) eligibility, facilitates retirement matching or Social Security participation, requires notices and recordkeeping on assignments, compensation, evaluations, benefits, and advancement, and provides professional development, research and conference support, technology access, and mentoring.

Creates a Contingent Faculty Career Advancement Fund to finance career frameworks, professional development, benefits expansion, resources, and conversion of contingent positions to full-time, and authorizes the Board of Higher Education to regulate, monitor, investigate, order corrective action, impose penalties, and receive complaints with appeal and anti-retaliation protections; major provisions take effect July 1, 2026.

Requires the Department to adopt the AASL and MSLA school library standards for all public, charter, private day, residential, and collaborative schools, promoting effective school library programs with well-rounded, grade-appropriate collections, K-12 instruction in information literacy and research, advancement of reading proficiency, and integration of learning technologies across the curriculum.

Directs the Commissioner to guide school committees or boards of trustees in implementing the standards and developing effective programs, which may be incorporated into existing curricula such as English language arts, history and social sciences, and technology. Mandates, subject to appropriation, an implementation study beginning in the third year after adoption and every third year thereafter to examine employment of school librarians and program types and to identify best practices and recommended improvements.

Bans the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of children's products with intentionally added PFAS, measured as total organic fluorine at a threshold set by the Department of Environmental Protection, effective no later than one year after the act's effective date.

Establishes a children's product chemicals oversight program requiring the Department, in consultation with the Toxics Use Reduction Institute, to maintain and periodically update public lists of toxic chemicals of concern and high priority chemicals (including chemical classes), and to require manufacturers to report the presence of listed chemicals above de minimis levels within 180 days and biennially thereafter, with reporting required for engineered nanoobjects regardless of amount.

Requires manufacturers of products containing a high priority chemical to notify sellers; to remove or substitute the chemical within three years for mouthable items, cosmetics and personal care products, and products made for or marketed to children under three; and to cease sale of any children's product containing the high priority chemical within five years unless federally preempted or the Commissioner grants an exemption due to unreasonable risk from lack of availability; bars substitution with any chemical of concern and mandates hazard assessments for substitutions not on a Department-issued safer alternatives list, which are reviewed within 180 days (deemed approved if no action) and valid for three years. Authorizes waivers where exposure is not reasonably anticipated, a two-year extension for manufacturers with 25 or fewer employees, additional exemptions by rule, testing, fees for reports and waivers, recalls and reimbursements, civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation ($10,000 for repeat offenses), and statements of compliance on request; exempts secondhand sales and provides a retailer safe harbor for unknowingly selling restricted products; and requires regulations and initial chemicals lists within 18 months and a triennial report.

Establishes a Research Resilience Fund within the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, governed by a new Research Opportunity Review Board, to make qualified investments-including grants, loans, matching and bridge financing, grants to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to facilitate technology transfer, and 1-year fellowships up to $100,000-for universities, colleges, hospitals, and independent research institutions facing reductions or delays in federal research funding. Requires clawbacks for unmet commitments, limits eligibility to entities domiciled or chartered in-state, imposes fees on non-grant awards, and permits solicitation of private co-investment and gifts.

Appropriates $200,000,000 through fiscal 2028 for a bridge funding reserve administered by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to support public higher education institutions confronting federal research funding uncertainty, authorizing up to $80,000,000 for flexible research costs, up to $40,000,000 for talent-retention positions, and up to $30,000,000 for research partnerships and joint ventures across specified disciplines. Renames and expands an existing fund to add Fiscal Resilience, broadens allowable uses to include protecting against the elimination, reduction, or delay of federal funds, bolstering hospitals and community health centers (including transfers to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund), and pay-as-you-go capital for authorized projects; extends related authorities and availability from 2026 to 2029, authorizes transfers of up to $200,000,000 to the Research Resilience Fund, and permits assistance to 501(c)(3) organizations experiencing disrupted federal funding. Defines "independent research institution" as a tax-exempt nonprofit organized exclusively for scientific or educational purposes, excluding hospitals, colleges, universities, and private foundations, and authorizes specified officials to solicit private gifts or grants for the Research Resilience Fund.

Imposes strict K-12 data-privacy rules on education technology operators, including bans on targeted advertising based on information acquired through school use, prohibitions on the sale or rental of student information, limits on profiling of students or educators to K-12 school purposes, and disclosure only as required by law, for de-identified research approved by an educational entity with results shared before public release, or in transfers to educational entities for K-12 purposes; requires reasonable security and prompt return or destruction of covered information; and permits use of de-identified or aggregated data to maintain, improve, and demonstrate service effectiveness, including marketing within the operator's own platforms.

Requires contracts between educational entities and operators that access or create covered information to set data ownership and use limits, access controls, specified security safeguards (including encryption), breach-notification procedures, data return or destruction, and compliance assurances, and makes noncompliant contracts voidable with mandatory return or destruction of data.

Authorizes enforcement by aggrieved students or educational entities with damages up to $10,000 per disclosure or adverse action, or actual damages if higher, plus punitive damages for willful violations and attorneys' fees, and empowers the Commissioner to bar violators from access to student and educator evaluation records for at least five years; directs the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to set privacy and security regulations, minimum operator standards, and educator-preparation curricula and to approve the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's policies and state data-system plan; creates a Chief Privacy Officer to develop model policies and contracts, training, guidance, and oversight; and requires school districts to adopt privacy and security policies, designate a student data manager, report significant student-data breaches within 10 business days, and provide annual confidentiality training, with completion required for provisional or standard educator certification.

Requires all public school districts to ensure every student completes and submits the FAFSA before graduation, with exemptions available via standardized forms signed by a parent or guardian, by students who are 18 or legally emancipated, or-subject to district approval-through a school-filed waiver for minors. Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide accessible forms translated into families' preferred languages that collect only names and signatures and no citizenship information, obligates districts to assist families, and limits school-filed waivers to those signed by the principal attesting the student meets all other graduation requirements and that the school made at least three personalized contacts in the family's preferred language.

Establishes the FAFSA Trust Fund, administered by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, to receive public and private monies not subject to further appropriation and support implementation-prioritizing underserved communities-through training, workshops, and partnerships, with private contributions reviewed to prevent restrictive or detrimental conditions. Requires annual district reporting on FAFSA completion and exemptions with breakdowns by race, ethnicity, and primary city or town, provides for an annual report on the fund's activity, and staggers implementation by making the fund effective October 1, 2026, and the FAFSA requirement effective October 1, 2027.

Caps each district's total tuition to charter schools at 9% of net school spending, eliminates higher caps, freezes districts above that threshold at levels needed to support existing and previously authorized enrollment, bars authorization of new seats while above the cap, and requires the state to cover sibling tuition that would otherwise push a district over the cap.

Restructures charter tuition financing by splitting payments between the district (facilities plus unadjusted foundation budget components) and the state (any above-foundation rate), clarifies calculation methods for sending districts and receiving schools, and maintains use of the full district-plus-state tuition amounts when determining the 9% cap.

Revises reimbursements for increases in charter tuition to a five-year declining schedule of 100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20%, requires annual requests for full funding, and prohibits the Board from approving new charters or expansions in any fiscal year the reimbursement account is underfunded. Strengthens review and public-process requirements by directing the Department and the Board to weigh projected impacts on enrollment, finances, and the short- and long-term viability of sending districts; to hold a local public hearing on seat expansions upon request with a virtual participation option and consider whether expanding schools serve student populations representative of sending districts; and to make charter-renewal materials public 60 days before a vote with at least a 30-day public comment period.

Establishes a comprehensive state labor-relations backstop that governs private-sector labor relations whenever federal preemption ceases or the National Labor Relations Board lacks or declines jurisdiction, requiring prompt certification of previously federally certified bargaining representatives and preserving existing terms and conditions during verification.

Redefines coverage by adopting an ABC test for "employee," expanding "employer" to include entities with at least one employee, nonprofits, health care facilities, and publicly funded service vendors, and codifying a broad joint-employer standard. Authorizes certification by written majority authorization, including regulated electronic signatures, and requires regulations to enable remote representation elections by internet or telephone.

Expands unfair labor practice and election conduct rules by prohibiting permanent striker replacements, discrimination against strikers, pre-strike lockouts to influence bargaining, misclassification or misrepresentation of employee status, and captive-audience meetings during the critical period, while ensuring equal access for labor organizations if employers electioneer.

Strengthens enforcement by centralizing adjudication in the Department of Labor Relations with review by the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board and judicial review in the Appeals Court; authorizes interim injunctive relief; imposes enhanced remedies-including back pay without mitigation, front pay, consequential and treble liquidated damages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and minimum civil penalties-personal liability for corporate officers, and robust subpoena powers; requires public reporting by consultants retained to persuade employees or surveil union activity; updates health-care strike notice requirements; and authorizes agency service fees in lieu of union membership dues.

Authorizes $3.0 billion in special-obligation bonds in 9 line-items, payable from the Education and Transportation Fund and excluded from general debt limits-for public higher education capital projects. The outside sections overhaul the Commonwealth’s approach to higher education capital planning, property management, and infrastructure financing, including the delegation of more project authority to MSCBA; a new structured process for disposing of surplus campus property; a new dedicated fund for reinvesting property-sale proceeds; major expansions to bonding capacity backed by surtax revenues; extensive new reporting, transparency, and oversight requirements; long-term financing for billions in new capital investments across public higher education.

Requires every school district to adopt and enforce a policy prohibiting student use of personal electronic devices on school grounds during the school day, including school-sponsored activities, with narrow exceptions for disability accommodations, documented health needs, or emergencies; directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to issue annually updated guidance, recommendations, and a model policy covering storage or technological restrictions and limits on personal use of district-issued devices; establishes a pilot in 1 to 10 districts to deploy technology that renders personal devices inoperable on school grounds during the school day.

Authorizes $3.275 billion for capital improvements at public higher education institutions-including $1.25 billion each for the University of Massachusetts and for state universities and community colleges-financed with special-obligation bonds payable from the Education and Transportation Fund; targets investments to campus decarbonization and energy efficiency, laboratory modernization, campus master plans, technology for remote and hybrid learning, career technical education equipment aligned to workforce needs, housing and mixed-use conversions of campus property, and revitalization of the Huntington Tower Building at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Establishes a comprehensive process to declare and dispose of surplus higher education real property with local notice, a public hearing for large sites, reuse restrictions with reversionary remedies, and appraisals reviewed by the Inspector General, and deposits proceeds into a new Higher Education Property Disposition Fund dedicated to decarbonization, deferred maintenance, critical repairs, and related programmatic improvements.

Expands and operationalizes financing by defining a $100 million annual dedicated higher education surtax amount within the Education and Transportation Fund, authorizing trust-secured special-obligation bonds backed by that revenue, adjusting the fund's annual spending threshold, and allowing the fund to pay related debt obligations.

Authorizes the Commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to delegate control of structural or mechanical projects under $10 million to the Massachusetts State College Building Authority; updates the Authority's mission to include energy efficiency and decarbonization and revises its membership; creates comprehensive annual capital reporting; amends designer selection requirements for projects over $500,000; and treats Minority-Serving private nonprofits and Quincy College as part of the community college segment for department programs.

Authorizes $3.275 billion in special obligation bonds, payable from the Education and Transportation Fund, for public higher education capital projects-allocating $1.25 billion each to the University of Massachusetts and to state universities and community colleges; $370.45 million for earmarked campus projects and $275 million to revitalize the Massachusetts College of Art and Design's Huntington Tower; $100 million to adapt campus properties for housing and mixed-use development; $80 million for decarbonization planning and projects; $120 million for laboratory modernization, community college-vocational technical school collaborations, and student support facilities; and additional grants for campus repairs, technology to support remote and hybrid learning, and career technical education equipment.

Defines a $100 million annual dedicated higher education income surtax revenue amount and permits bonds secured by trust agreements with debt service capped to that amount, revises the Education and Transportation Fund's annual spending threshold, and updates the Innovation and Capital Account for one-time education and transportation investments.

Establishes a process for disposition of surplus campus property with notice, reuse restrictions, a public hearing for large sites, independent appraisal and Inspector General review, and directs proceeds to a new Higher Education Property Disposition Fund for decarbonization, deferred maintenance, and critical repairs.

Revises the Massachusetts State College Building Authority's powers and board composition, allows delegation of structural or mechanical projects under $10,000,000, amends designer selection requirements for projects over $500,000, includes federally designated minority-serving private nonprofits and Quincy College in the community college segment for department programs, and requires comprehensive annual capital reporting and a 90-day plan identifying deferred maintenance projects over $50,000,000 with five-year timelines.

This bill replaces current law on underperforming schools and receivership, and substitutes reforms relating to the oversight and performance of underperforming schools. Key provisions include the establishment of local stakeholder groups tasked with developing comprehensive support and improvement plans for up to five percent of schools selected as needing support. These groups will comprise superintendents, school committee members, union representatives, educators, parents, and community figures. The improvement plans will employ evidence-based interventions such as class size reduction, professional development, and student mental and social health support services. The focus is on aligning strategies with the school’s vision and addressing unique challenges and strengths. Plans are set for a four-year duration, with annual reviews and possible extensions upon meeting exit criteria.

The bill also mandates a transition plan for districts in receivership, to conclude within a year, facilitated by necessary funding and technical assistance. A special commission will evaluate and recommend enhancements to the state's student, school, and district assessment systems, ensuring federal compliance while promoting authentic and less demographically biased evaluation methods. Additionally, the bill revises the financial arrangements between public school districts and charter schools, imposing a cap on charter school tuition payments at 9% of a district's net school spending, with additional allowances in excess of the cap if necessary due to siblings attending charter schools.

This bill focuses on regulating artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision systems (ADS) within workplaces. It sets guidelines for the deployment of electronic monitoring tools by employers, which can only be employed for specific purposes such as quality control, compliance, or workplace safety, with minimal and only necessary data collection. Employers are required to provide written notice and obtain employee consent before implementing these tools, specifying their purpose, the data collected, and retention policies, and ensuring they adopt the least invasive monitoring methods. The bill also mandates the maintenance of detailed compliance records and the protection of data confidentiality and integrity. Restrictions include provisions banning monitoring to obtain health or other private information about employees, and may not take place in bathrooms, locker rooms, lounges and similar spaces. The bill also prohibits using electronic monitoring data for disciplinary actions unless performance standards have been disclosed to employees with proper notice.

Additionally, the bill governs the use of automated employment decision tools, requiring these tools to undergo impact assessments by independent auditors. These assessments must evaluate the tools' validity, potential biases, and effects on protected groups, ensuring they do not foster discrimination and are not solely relied upon for employment decisions. Employers must inform employees and candidates about their use, offering alternatives or accommodations as necessary. The bill specifically bans the use of ADS with facial or emotion recognition technologies unless essential for security reasons, protects employees from retaliatory actions when challenging AI outputs, and mandates regular impact assessments by state agencies to avoid discriminatory outcomes. Moreover, it restricts the use of automated decision systems in public services unless authorized by law.

This bill regulates chemicals in children's products, by prohibition of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It bans the sale or distribution of children’s products with intentionally added PFAS and mandates the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to measure PFAS content and compile a list of toxic chemicals identified as carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and other harmful classifications. of concern, updated at least every three years. Manufacturers must report any use of these chemicals above de minimis levels in their products, with reports being publicly accessible. They are also required to remove or substitute these chemicals within three years unless exemptions apply. The DEP will establish a list of safer alternative chemicals and offer guidance for substitutions. Non-compliance could result in penalties, such as fines and recalls. The bill includes exemption criteria, like for small manufacturers or situations posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, or welfare. The DEP will enforce these measures through regular reporting, list updates, and necessary regulations to ensure children's protection from hazardous substances.

This bill requires schools to limit student access to personal electronic devices during the school day. Exceptions are made for emergencies or educational needs. Schools must communicate these policies to parents and submit them to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for oversight and guidance. Schools must also educate students on the social, emotional, and physical risks of social media use.

Social media platforms must implement nearly foolproof age verification systems and establish default privacy-focused settings for minors, including permitting communication and content sharing only with established connections, disabling features like autoplay and continuous scrolling, and barring access during certain hours, such as nighttime and school hours. Platforms are also required to include mechanisms for flagging unwanted content and must issue health warnings related to social media use. 

This bill replaces current law on underperforming schools and receivership, and substitutes reforms relating to the oversight and performance of underperforming schools. Key provisions include the establishment of local stakeholder groups tasked with developing comprehensive support and improvement plans for up to five percent of schools selected as needing support. These groups will comprise superintendents, school committee members, union representatives, educators, parents, and community figures. The improvement plans will employ evidence-based interventions such as class size reduction, professional development, and student mental and social health support services. The focus is on aligning strategies with the school’s vision and addressing unique challenges and strengths. Plans are set for a four-year duration, with annual reviews and possible extensions upon meeting exit criteria.

The bill also mandates a transition plan for districts in receivership, to conclude within a year, facilitated by necessary funding and technical assistance. A special commission will evaluate and recommend enhancements to the state's student, school, and district assessment systems, ensuring federal compliance while promoting authentic and less demographically biased evaluation methods. Additionally, the bill revises the financial arrangements between public school districts and charter schools, imposing a cap on charter school tuition payments at 9% of a district's net school spending, with additional allowances in excess of the cap if necessary due to siblings attending charter schools.

The bill establishes a statewide framework and dedicated funding stream to support interdisciplinary climate literacy education for K–12 public school students in Massachusetts.

Requires the Department, in consultation with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, to develop model materials on secure firearm storage for school districts-covering the importance of securing firearms in homes and vehicles, the risks of unsecured firearms to children, teens, schools, and the wider community, and actions the school community can take, including awareness of secure storage requirements and suicide-prevention and other behavioral health or educational resources-that are reviewed annually and provided in multiple languages as needed.

Mandates superintendents and school committees to collaborate to annually distribute a notice based on this content to parents, guardians, and staff, and to make the information electronically accessible on the district's webpage.

Repeals a provision of a 1995 act that was subsequently amended in 2014.

The bill creates a commission to make recommendations to ensure fair and adequate funding for PreK-12 public education. The commission will review all facets of the school funding formula and additional financial mechanisms for public schools, concentrating on the foundation budget's components, the necessity to eliminate the cap on the foundation inflation index, and the financial needs for special education and student transportation. It will also assess the effects of low and declining enrollments, the hurdles faced by rural districts, and the sufficiency of local contribution efforts, among other concerns. The commission will consist of legislators, education stakeholders, and individuals with expertise in education or municipal finance. 

Creates a 15-member special legislative commission to investigate community schools and recommend statewide adoption, while establishing definitions for "Community School" and "Community Schools strategy." The commission is co-chaired by the House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Education and includes the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, representatives of the Massachusetts Community Schools Coalition, American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, Massachusetts Teachers Association, and United Way of Massachusetts Bay, plus seven gubernatorial appointees (two students, a parent, a superintendent, a principal, a coordinator, and a community-based organization representative), with attention to rural, urban, and suburban representation.

Requires the commission to analyze implementation models and trends; review supportive policies in other jurisdictions; assess adoption, implementation, and outcomes (including absenteeism); define essential elements, including as an equity strategy; identify legal, regulatory, information/training, and funding barriers; and meet at least bimonthly.

Directs it to submit by February 15, 2026 a report with findings and specific recommendations, including legislative or regulatory changes, policies to codify definitions and incentivize statewide adoption with sustainable funding streams, and a proposed statewide pilot program specifying eligible communities, necessary resources, the funding award process, and data, outcomes, and evaluation criteria.

Requires the Department to adopt the American Association of School Librarians/Massachusetts School Library Association standards for all public, charter, private day, residential, and collaborative schools, promoting effective school library programs staffed by certified school librarians, equitable access to collections and resources, personalized learning, a well-rounded grade-appropriate collection, K-12 instruction in information literacy and research skills, advancement of reading proficiency for all students, and integration of learning technologies across the curriculum.

Directs the Commissioner to guide school committees and boards of trustees in implementing the standards and developing effective programs, and permits incorporation of the standards into existing English language arts, history and social sciences, and technology curricula. Mandates, subject to appropriation, a study beginning in the third year after enactment and every third year thereafter analyzing school librarian and staff employment and the types of programs offered, with a public report on best practices and recommended improvements.

This bill concerns educational assessments and services for English Language Learner (ELL) students, particularly those who also have disabilities. It requires that during evaluations, school committees account for a student’s English proficiency and ensure assessments are given in the student’s primary language. Additionally, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team for ELL students must include experts in second language acquisition, with the IEP addressing both their language and special education needs.

The bill prohibits school districts from suggesting parents opt out of ELL services to simplify the scheduling of special education services. It mandates schools to facilitate meaningful communication with parents and guardians through interpreters and translators who are both bilingual and skilled in specialized terminology. 

Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to integrate media literacy skills into all K-12 core and health curricula and, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, technology researchers, and technology ethicists, to develop a sequential, grade-by-grade curriculum. Sets minimum competencies for accessing and evaluating information and media influence; recognizing social media's limits as a news source; operating digital tools; safe, responsible, and ethical platform use; protecting against harmful content including child sexual abuse material and content promoting illegal drugs, self-harm, or eating disorders; and creating and sharing content with social and civic responsibility, including participation in political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of digital life.

Directs the Department to provide an online list of approved media literacy curricula. Takes effect January 1, 2026.

Requires the Public Fund to identify within 30 days and fully divest within 12 months all holdings in WMD Entities; establishes a standing policy barring current and future investments, amends investment guidelines accordingly, and directs external managers to divest such positions or carve them out into comparable actively managed funds that exclude WMD Entities.

Mandates State Agencies to review and identify contracts with WMD Entities, promptly terminate existing agreements where practicable, and refrain from entering new contracts; provides exemptions from conflicting statutory or common-law obligations, including for good-faith determinations identifying WMD Entities, and indemnifies the Board, State Officers and employees, and contracted investment managers against claims arising from decisions to restrict, reduce, or eliminate such investments; requires ongoing annual reports on divestment actions and remaining prohibited holdings.

Requires high school students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before graduating from high school, with certain exemptions; establishes and regulates the FAFSA and MASFA Trust Funds, administered by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Overhauls employment standards for contingent faculty at public higher education institutions-establishes minimum per-course compensation prorated to full-time pay with cost-of-living adjustments and parity between day and continuing education; mandates payment for course preparation, late cancellations, and departmental service; guarantees employment security through two-year contracts after four successful semesters, 45-day course-assignment notice, 25 percent cancellation pay, protection from arbitrary non-renewal, and a right of first refusal; and requires office space, institution-provided equipment, and access to resources and professional development.

Creates a three-tier career advancement framework with transparent criteria that credit teaching excellence and institutional service, prioritizes internal advancement and consideration for full-time positions, and integrates contingent faculty into departmental governance with voting rights and access to grants and research support; reforms continuing education by eliminating pay disparities within two years, placing all new contingent hires in the day division unit, and standardizing benefits, evaluation, and advancement.

Expands benefits by granting health insurance eligibility at 25 percent of a full-time load or two courses per year for two years with pro-rated premiums and coverage between semesters, and strengthens retirement by facilitating Social Security participation, preserving OBRA 1990/457b eligibility, requiring institutional matching, and providing planning support and part-time representation; establishes employment-record and notice requirements, mandates professional development funding and support, and creates a Contingent Faculty Career Advancement Fund to finance implementation and conversion to full-time positions.

Authorizes the Board to regulate, monitor, investigate, and penalize noncompliance; enables faculty complaints, appeals, civil enforcement, and anti-retaliation protections; and requires regulations by January 1, 2026, with core provisions effective July 1, 2026.

Expands the definition of eligible employees to include public higher education faculty who teach at least two three-or-more-credit courses per semester or four per calendar year at one or more public institutions, including divisions of continuing education, regardless of funding source, employment term, or retirement system participation. Requires the state, rather than public higher education institutions, to bear the cost.

This bill establishes an Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, aimed at providing immigration legal services to eligible immigrants and refugees, with a focus on those in federal detention or facing removal proceedings. Administered by the Office for Refugees and Immigrants, the fund administers a competitive grant program that supports nonprofit organizations, law firms, and qualified private attorneys experienced in immigration law. Priority for legal services will go to individuals detained or facing immediate deportation risks. A Coordinator will offer logistical support, technical assistance, and training to legal professionals. The fund will receive revenue through a line-item in the state budget as well as external sources.

Overhauls private-sector labor relations to ensure state coverage whenever federal preemption or jurisdiction lapses, triggering application of state law to any employer, employees, trade, or industry outside the National Labor Relations Board's reach; requires prompt certification of previously NLRB-certified bargaining units, maintaining existing terms during a 30-day verification. Expands coverage by redefining "employer" and "employee" to capture nonprofits, health care facilities, and certain vendors to public entities while excluding specified domestic, agricultural, and family workers; codifies an ABC test presuming employee status; adopts a joint-employer standard based on direct, indirect, or reserved control; and defines "written majority authorization" with a 12-month signature window and e-signature rules.

Strengthens protections and enforcement by prohibiting permanent replacement of strikers, pre-strike lockouts to influence bargaining, and misclassification or misrepresentations about coverage; authorizing interim injunctive relief; empowering the Department of Labor Relations and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board to investigate, subpoena, and enforce; and imposing remedies including back pay without mitigation, front pay, consequential and treble liquidated damages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, civil penalties, and individual liability for corporate officers. Regulates employer anti-union conduct by requiring detailed reporting by consultants who persuade employees or supply employers with information on employee or union activities in a labor dispute, barring captive-audience meetings and mandating equal access for unions during the post-petition critical period, permitting payment of an agency service fee in lieu of union membership, requiring 10-day advance notice before strikes at health care institutions, and directing the Department to implement remote representation elections via internet or telephone voting.

This bill proposes a series of incremental increases to the minimum wage in Massachusetts, and includes a mechanism to adjust it based on inflation. The bill raises the minimum wage in successive annual increments from the current $15.00 to $16.25, then to $17.50, $18.75, and finally reaching $20.00 in 2029. For employees earning a subminimum wage, incremental raises are also outlined, progressing from $6.75 to $7.92, $9.19, and $10.55, ultimately adjusting to 60 percent of the calculated minimum wage by 2030. Additionally, the bill mandates that starting in 2030, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will determine an adjusted minimum wage reflecting inflation changes, using the consumer price index for urban wage earners.

This bill allows Massachusetts municipalities to voluntarily adopt local regulations to cap annual rent increases and establish just cause eviction requirements. The bill repeals the current statute limiting local rent control ordinances. Under the bill, municipalities that choose the local option to implement its provisions can limit annual rent increases to the lower of 5% or the change in the Consumer Price Index. Exemptions are provided for certain dwelling units, including those in owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units, units under public regulation, and newly constructed dwellings with certificates of occupancy issued post-January 1, 2021, for a five-year duration.

To adopt these regulations, municipalities must adopt the just causes for eviction set in the law, incorporating actions like nonpayment of rent, refusal to comply with lawful rent increases, significant lease violations, or tenant criminal activity. Additionally, municipalities must submit annual reports to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities detailing the ordinance’s impact, conducted studies, and affected units. Violations of the ordinance are treated as unfair or deceptive practices under chapter 93A of the General Laws, allowing for remedies like restitution and civil penalties.

The "Safe Communities Act" bill limits the role of state law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement. It expressly forbids law enforcement officers from inquiring about an individual's immigration status, including those of crime victims and witnesses, unless mandated by state or federal law. The bill requires that interviews related to immigration enforcement conducted under the custody of law enforcement proceed only with the individual's informed consent. This consent must be obtained through a multilingual written form that clearly communicates the nature of the interview and the individual's rights, including the right to decline the interview or to request the presence of legal counsel.

Additionally, the bill restricts communications with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security by limiting notifications regarding an individual’s release from local or state custody. It mandates that these individuals be informed of any federal requests concerning their detention. The bill also prohibits state and local law enforcement and correctional officers from carrying out immigration enforcement functions and invalidates existing agreements that conflict with this prohibition unless they relate to inter-governmental arrangements for housing detainees with DHS covering daily expenses.

Authorizes school nurses employed in Department of Education-approved schools who are members in service of the Teachers' Retirement System or a municipal, Boston, or State retirement system to purchase up to three years of creditable service for prior nursing work experience. Conditions eligibility on completion of at least 10 years of membership service and payment into the annuity savings fund-by lump sum or installments set by the Retirement Board-equal to 10 percent of the member's regular annual compensation at entry for each year purchased plus buyback interest.

Requires application within 90 days of the Retirement Board's notice upon vesting, or for current members, within 90 days of the act's effective date.

Amends overtime law to include agricultural and farm workers, confirming that employees engaged solely or primarily in secondary agriculture are covered by the general overtime requirement, while providing that employees engaged in solely primary agriculture or in both primary and secondary agriculture earn time-and-a-half only after 55 hours in a workweek. Redefines "Agricultural and farm work" to distinguish primary and secondary agriculture and enumerate covered activities, defines "Farm," and removes "agricultural and farm work" from the definition of "Occupation."

Creates a refundable tax credit for employers of agricultural and farm workers equal to up to 40% of overtime wages paid above the regular hourly rate, scaled inversely to farm size so smaller farms receive a higher percentage, and excluding immediate family employees; excess credit is refundable without interest and applies under both the personal income and corporate excise taxes. Requires the Department of Revenue to implement the credit's scaling and the Department of Labor Standards to clarify criteria for the 55-hour threshold; both the overtime and tax-credit changes take effect January 1 following enactment.

This bill concerns protections and benefits for agricultural and farm workers.Under the bill, the minimum wage for agricultural employees is set at the general minimum wage. Also, agricultural employees accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, with a maximum accrual of 55 hours per year. This leave can be taken for any reason with appropriate notice and cannot be replaced with sick leave or result in retaliation. Employers may also offer more generous leave policies at their discretion. Also, the bill provides that agricultural workers working for eight or more hours in a day are entitled to two paid 15-minute breaks, with break areas required to have regulated temperatures and access to hydration. The Department of Labor Standards is responsible for establishing regulations to ensure safe and suitable conditions for these breaks, particularly during extreme temperatures.

This bill proposes changing how certain foreign income amounts are handled under state tax law. Under the bill, 50% of revenue received from non-US companies that are controlled by American individuals, federally considered the so-called GILTI income, will be subject to state income tax. These changes are scheduled to be effective for tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025.

This bill adds provisions to state law regarding public and school libraries by establishing comprehensive procedures for selecting and evaluating library materials. It establishes as state policy a right for students to receive information from school libraries determined to be educational and age-appropriate by the school library teacher or school official responsible for the selection of library materials. Library material must be selected in good faith based on professional training and not on personal, political or doctrinal views.

The bill requires school committees to formulate written policies governing the selection and use of library materials, aligning with American Library Association standards. These policies must specify procedures for handling challenges to library materials, guaranteeing their continued availability until a formal review is conducted. Any decision to remove such materials must be subjected to evaluation by both school authorities and designated review committees.

Requires high school students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before graduating from high school, with certain exemptions; establishes and regulates the FAFSA and MASFA Trust Funds, administered by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Requires every public school or district to adopt and implement by the start of the 2026-2027 school year a personal electronic device policy that, at minimum, prohibits student physical access to such devices during the school day and sets standards for use on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities beyond the school day. Mandates clear exceptions for health and safety, disability-related accommodations (IEPs, 504 plans, ADA), travel to off-campus learning, multilingual learners, emergencies, and staff direction; requires one or more methods for parent-student contact during the day; and requires enforcement provisions applicable to students and employees that prevent inequitable discipline; policies may vary by grade level, must be approved by the appropriate governing body, and must be communicated to families.

Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to issue guidance and model policies within 180 days-addressing avoidance of personal use of school-issued devices, options for secure storage of personal devices during the school day, and equitable enforcement-requires schools or districts to file their policies with the Department, requires regular updates to the guidance, and requires a report by December 31, 2027, on the impact of school personal device prohibitions.

Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Department to promulgate regulations establishing standards for the provision of interpretation and translation services. 

Requires every public school and district to adopt and enforce a policy prohibiting student use and on-person possession of personal electronic devices on school grounds during the school day-including recess, lunch, and passing periods-and during school-sponsored activities held during the school day; mandates equitable, non-exclusionary enforcement that prohibits expulsion or suspension and requires at least one method for parent-student contact; and permits limited exceptions for IEP/504 or ADA accommodations, documented health needs, off-campus travel to learning opportunities, and case-specific exemptions such as emergencies, safety, teacher-directed instructional use, or multilingual learners.

Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, after public input, to issue within 180 days guidance, recommendations, and a model policy-covering secure storage options, preventing personal use of school-issued devices, and enforcement safeguards-and to update them annually; if a local policy is not approved by September 1, the model policy takes effect.

Requires annual filing of local policies with the Department and annual notice to families, allows developmentally appropriate variations that do not expand use or possession beyond authorized exceptions, requires implementation before the 2026-2027 school year, and requires a report on implementation by December 31, 2027.

Requires every public school or district to adopt and enforce a policy prohibiting student use and on-person possession of personal electronic devices on school grounds during the school day-including recess, lunch, and passing time-and during school-sponsored activities held in the school day. Mandates at least one method for parent-student contact, including for emergencies; bars expulsion or suspension for violations while requiring safeguards against inequitable discipline; and limits exemptions to IEP/504 or other legal accommodations, documented medical necessity, off-campus travel to other learning opportunities, or case-specific exemptions authorized in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's model policy.

Authorizes policies to vary by developmental level and school schedules but not to permit device use or on-person possession beyond those exemptions; requires annual notice to families and approval by the local governing body after public input; defaults to the Department's model policy if a local policy is not approved by September 1; and sets an adoption deadline before the 2026-2027 school year. Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to issue recommendations, guidance, and a model policy within 180 days-including secure storage options, limits on personal use of school-issued devices, and enforceable compliance provisions-to solicit public input, review and update materials annually to reflect research and technological advances (including technology that may render devices inoperable), collect annual policy filings, and report on implementation by December 31, 2027.

Caps each district's total tuition payments to charter schools at 9% of net school spending, preserving levels necessary to support existing and previously authorized enrollments in districts above 9% as of June 30, 2025, prohibiting new seats there until they fall to 9%, and requiring the state to cover tuition for siblings whose enrollment would otherwise exceed the cap, and makes other provisions restructuring charter tuition financing.

Bans, within one year, the sale or distribution of children's products with intentionally added PFAS, measured by total organic fluorine at a Department-set threshold.

Establishes a chemicals management program under which the Department, in consultation with the Toxics Use Reduction Institute, maintains and updates a list of toxic chemicals of concern (including chemical classes) and requires manufacturers to report within 180 days and biennially when listed chemicals exceed de minimis levels, or at any level if present as engineered nanoobjects; designates as high priority chemicals a subset meeting specified exposure criteria.

Requires manufacturers to notify sellers within 180 days when a product contains a high priority chemical; mandates removal or substitution within three years for mouthable items, personal care products or cosmetics, and products for children under three; and, after five years, prohibits sale of any children's product containing a high priority chemical unless preempted by federal law or exempted by the Commissioner-while authorizing a safer alternatives list, prohibiting replacements with chemicals of concern or with equivalent hazard traits, and requiring hazard assessments for substitutes not on the safer alternatives list with time-limited approvals.

Authorizes testing, waivers, and small-business extensions; enforces compliance through recalls and reimbursement and civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation ($10,000 for repeats); exempts used products and retailers who unknowingly sell restricted items; and directs rulemaking and initial chemicals lists within 18 months.

Caps each public school district's total tuition payments to charter schools at 9% of net school spending; maintains districts above that threshold as of June 30, 2026 at levels needed to support current and previously authorized enrollment while barring new seats; and requires the State to cover tuition for siblings whose enrollment would otherwise push a district over the applicable cap.

Requires each school district, charter school, and local education agency to adopt American Library Association-aligned policies for selecting, using, and challenging school library materials; sets standards that selections be age-appropriate, educational, and grounded in professional training; shields school employees from loss of licensure or other adverse action for good-faith selections under those policies; and permits removal of outdated materials or to accommodate new materials when not based on personal, political, or doctrinal views, inter alia.

Establishes uniform standards and procedures for school library materials; requires free municipal public libraries to adopt and implement written selection and use policies that incorporate the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights; establishes and regulates the process for removing library materials.