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S 352

A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION - STATE BOARD OF COSMETOLOGY, RELATING TO LICENSURE FOR OUT-OF-STATE APPLICANTS, DESIGNATED AS

2025-2026 Regular Session

Directs the MSBA Advisory Board to study funding for tech/voc/agri schools and determine if a formula should increase state support, with a report by Jan 1, 2027.

Recommitted to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
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Bill Summary · S 352

Summary — S.352 (2025) — "An Act relative to MSBA school funding"

Note on metadata: the bill text provided is a Massachusetts Senate bill (filed as Senate Docket No. 641) concerning Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) funding for technical schools. Some accompanying metadata (title referencing fluoroscopy, federal sponsors such as Ted Budd/Thom Tillis, multiple committee referrals) appears inconsistent with the text. This summary focuses on the enacted bill text.

Purpose

Require the School Building Advisory Board (established under G.L. c. 70B, §3A) to study current school facility funding mechanisms and determine whether a funding formula should be created or adjusted to provide increased state funding for technical, vocational, and agricultural school facilities that incur higher establishment and maintenance costs than typical primary/secondary school facilities.

Key provisions

  • Directs the School Building Advisory Board to commission a study of funding mechanisms for primary, secondary, technical, vocational, and agricultural school facilities.
  • The study must:
    • Examine the feasibility of creating a funding formula that provides increased funding for technical, vocational, and agricultural schools where facility establishment/maintenance costs exceed those of standard primary/secondary schools.
  • Reporting requirement:
    • The Board must issue a written report with findings and recommendations on such a funding formula.
    • The report is to be submitted to the clerks of the Massachusetts House and Senate and to the Joint Committee on Education by no later than January 1, 2027.
  • Legal references: directs action under the authority of the school building advisory board created in section 3A of chapter 70B of the General Laws.

Who is affected

  • Primary actors: School Building Advisory Board (MSBA advisory body) — responsible for commissioning and completing the study and report.
  • Potentially affected entities: Massachusetts technical, vocational, and agricultural schools; local school districts that operate or partner with technical/vocational/agricultural programs; MSBA and state budget/planning authorities who would consider any recommended funding formula changes.
  • Indirectly affected: students and employers who rely on technical education, and municipalities that share costs for school building projects.

Timeline & procedural status (from provided record)

  • Bill text filed as Senate Docket No. 641 (filed 1/14/2025) and introduced in the Senate (listed January 30, 2025).
  • Reporting deadline for the mandated study: January 1, 2027.
  • Legislative action records provided show multiple referrals and a hearing scheduling entry (hearing scheduled 05/12/2025). Because metadata is inconsistent, check official Massachusetts legislative records (Mass.gov or the Legislature’s bill tracker) for current status.

Potential impact

  • If the study finds increased facility costs for technical/vocational/agricultural schools and recommends a revised funding formula, the Commonwealth could adopt changes increasing MSBA reimbursement rates or altering eligibility factors for those schools.
  • Possible outcomes include higher state capital funding for specialized facilities (e.g., trade shops, labs, agricultural infrastructure), reduced local share for such projects, and improved ability of technical schools to modernize facilities.
  • Any funding changes would require follow-on legislative or administrative action beyond this study/report requirement.

If you’d like, I can:
- Provide suggested metrics the study should examine (construction cost drivers, equipment lifecycle costs, enrollment/capacity factors), or
- Draft questions the Joint Committee on Education might use at the scheduled hearing.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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