This bill proposes the creation of a special legislative commission focused on advancing community school strategies in Massachusetts. Community schools are designed to boost student success and overall well-being by integrating strategic partnerships between schools and community resources, incorporating services such as wraparound support. The commission will comprise 15 members drawn from various educational and community organizations. Its primary role will be to examine existing systems, structures, and policies that facilitate the development of community schools and to study trends in their adoption both within Massachusetts and elsewhere. The commission will evaluate the effectiveness of current community school implementations in the state and identify obstacles to wider adoption, including legal, regulatory, or funding challenges.

The commission's mandate includes producing a comprehensive report by February 15, 2026, which will outline findings, offer policy recommendations for statewide adoption of community school strategies, and propose options for establishing sustainable funding models. Additionally, the commission will design a statewide pilot program for community schools, specifying eligible communities, resource requirements, the funding award process, and data reporting obligations for program evaluation. The report will be submitted to relevant legislative and executive bodies to guide future legislative and regulatory actions in supporting community-school initiatives throughout Massachusetts.

This legislative bill enhances the rights and working conditions of agricultural and farmworkers in Massachusetts. It specifically introduces provisions for paid time off, allowing workers to earn one hour of paid time off for every 40 hours worked, capped at 55 hours per calendar year. Workers can use their accrued time after 45 days of employment, except for returning seasonal employees, who are exempt from this waiting period in subsequent years. At the beginning of each year, unused paid time off resets, and any used time must be paid at the employee's current wage rate. The accrued time off can be utilized for any reason, provided the worker gives reasonable notice, and employees are protected against retaliation for using this time off. Employers can choose to offer more favorable terms for accrual, rollover, or usage than the legislation requires.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that agricultural workers who work eight or more hours per day must receive two paid 15-minute breaks. These breaks must comply with conditions regarding temperature regulation and hydration, especially during extreme weather. The legislation aligns the minimum wage for agricultural workers with the state's general minimum wage and updates the "agricultural and farm work" definition to clearly outline primary and secondary activities covered under the law. The Department of Labor Standards is tasked with creating regulations around these break conditions in collaboration with stakeholders. The provisions related to breaks will take effect on January 1 following the bill's enactment, while all other provisions will become effective immediately upon passage.

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.

This legislative bill aims to support agricultural and farm work in Massachusetts by introducing tax incentives and modifying labor regulations. It establishes a refundable tax credit for employers who provide overtime pay to agricultural workers, with the credit proportionally increasing for smaller farms. The tax credit covers up to 40% of the overtime wages paid, and if it exceeds the taxpayer's liability, the excess will be refunded. Additionally, the bill amends labor laws to require overtime pay at one and a half times the regular hourly rate for farm workers who exceed 55 hours of work per week. Definitions within the bill update the distinctions between primary and secondary agriculture and clarify who qualifies as an agricultural employee.

The bill instructs the Department of Revenue and the Department of Labor Standards to develop and implement regulations within six months of enactment. These regulations will ensure the administration of the tax credits and compliance with new overtime rules, incorporating input from stakeholders to determine the credit scaling based on farm size and define work requirements for the revised overtime threshold. The provisions concerning tax credits are set to take effect on January 1 of the year after the bill's enactment, while all other sections will become effective immediately upon passage.

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 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 is to be established to 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 legislative bill requires public schools in Massachusetts to develop and implement policies governing the use of personal electronic devices on school grounds and during school-sponsored events to minimize distractions, enhance safety, and protect student privacy. Under these policies, student access to personal devices is largely prohibited during the school day, except for specific individual needs, accommodations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or emergencies. Schools must inform parents or guardians about these policies. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, alongside the attorney general’s office and the Department of Public Health, will provide guidance to aid in policy formulation and implementation. Additionally, schools are compelled to educate students on the social, emotional, and physical risks of social media use, making this information accessible to parents and available online, with guidance provided by the same bodies.

Furthermore, the bill imposes new regulations on social media platforms to safeguard minors. These platforms must implement nearly foolproof age verification systems and establish default privacy-focused settings for minors that limit engagement. Key restrictions include 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. While parents have limited control over these settings for children under 16, teenagers aged 16 and 17 can adjust their settings within certain limitations. Social media companies are also mandated to publish data concerning minor user engagement and interactions, conduct regular user experience surveys, and disclose these findings publicly. Noncompliance with age verification and minor protection requirements can incur fines up to $5,000 per violation, while failure to comply with data disclosure obligations may result in penalties of up to $1,000,000 per day.

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 is to be established to 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 proposes the creation of a commission tasked with examining and making recommendations to ensure fair and adequate funding for PreK-12 public education in Massachusetts. 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 legislative members, educational association representatives, and appointed individuals with expertise in education or municipal finance. They will gather public input by conducting at least five public hearings across the state, ensuring remote participation for at least one session. Support will be provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which will offer the necessary staff and resources. The commission is required to submit a comprehensive report with their findings and recommendations by June 30, 2027, including any proposed legislative or regulatory changes. A budget of $250,000 has been allocated for the commission's operations, covering staffing and administrative costs.

The proposed bill seeks to establish a legislative commission dedicated to examining the implementation and effectiveness of community schools in Massachusetts. Community schools are public schools that collaborate with local resources to enhance the academic success and overall well-being of students, families, educators, and neighborhood residents. The commission will comprise 15 members, including officials from the education and health sectors, representatives of educational and community organizations, and appointed student and parent representatives from existing community schools.

The commission's mandate includes analyzing successful community school models both within and outside Massachusetts, exploring policies that support such models, assessing the current state and impact of community schools in Massachusetts, and identifying obstacles to their broader implementation. The commission will issue a report by February 15, 2026, detailing its findings and policy recommendations. This report will propose a statewide pilot program for community schools, outline necessary resources and funding strategies, and establish evaluation criteria. The ultimate goal is to promote statewide adoption of community schools through consistent definitions, incentivized strategies, and sustainable funding mechanisms, potentially necessitating legislative or regulatory changes.

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.

This bill proposes the implementation of a refundable tax credit for employers in Massachusetts who hire non-family individuals for agricultural and farm work, aiming to incentivize the employment of such workers. It allows for a tax credit amounting to up to 40% of the overtime wages paid to these employees. The exact percentage of the credit depends on the size of the employer’s agricultural workforce, with smaller farms receiving a higher percentage credit, but capped at 40%. Additionally, the bill updates wage and hour regulations to mandate that agricultural workers must receive 1.5 times their standard pay for hours worked beyond 55 per week.

A key aspect of the bill is the revision of definitions related to agricultural work, differentiating between 'primary agriculture'—such as farming, harvesting, and dairy production—and 'secondary agriculture'—such as preparing commodities for sale. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue is given a six-month period to draft regulations for implementing the tax credit, adjusting the credit scale according to the size of the farm. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor Standards is tasked with formulating regulations to define criteria for overtime pay eligibility in collaboration with stakeholders. Implementation of these frameworks will involve stakeholder consultation to ensure they are effectively integrated into existing systems. While most sections of the bill take effect immediately, the tax credit provisions are set to become operative from the start of the next calendar year following the bill’s passage.

This legislative bill introduces a suite of new protections and benefits for agricultural and farm workers. Key provisions include the implementation of paid time off, where agricultural employees can accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, with a maximum accrual of 55 hours per year. Employees must wait 45 days before using this leave upon being newly hired, and any unused paid time off must be compensated upon an employee's resignation or discharge. 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.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that agricultural workers working for eight or more hours in a day are entitled to two paid 15-minute breaks, with requirements ensuring that break areas have regulated temperatures and access to hydration. The bill updates definitions related to agricultural work, distinguishing primary and secondary agricultural activities, and aligns the minimum wage for agricultural employees with the general minimum wage. The Department of Labor Standards is responsible for establishing regulations to ensure safe and suitable conditions for these breaks, particularly during extreme temperatures. While most provisions of this bill take immediate effect, the regulations concerning break conditions will be implemented in the following calendar year.

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.