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Bill

S 2593

Allows for an alternated holiday for pupils in all public schools in the borough of Brooklyn or in the borough of Queens

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a legislative commission to study and recommend reducing or eliminating MBTA fares for students at Massachusetts public higher education institutions.

REFERRED TO NEW YORK CITY EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · S 2593

Summary — S.2593 (Introduced)

Note: the bill materials provided contain mixed metadata (references to New York City committees, different titles and sponsors). This summary is based on the bill text included in the “Version Content,” which is a Massachusetts Senate bill that would create a legislative commission to study reduced or free MBTA fares for students at public institutions of higher education.

Purpose

Establish a special legislative commission to study and develop recommendations for how to provide reduced or free fare on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) services for students enrolled at public higher education institutions across the Commonwealth.

Key provisions

  • Creates a special legislative commission tasked with investigating ways to provide reduced or free MBTA fare for all students attending Massachusetts public higher education institutions.
  • Directs the commission to prepare a detailed report addressing financial impacts, ridership, comparative examples, funding options, and policy recommendations.
  • Requires the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to provide staff and support; commission members may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses.
  • Mandates the commission file its report with legislative clerks and relevant committees and post it on MassDOT’s website.

Commission membership

The commission is composed of legislative leaders and relevant stakeholders, including:
- House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation (co-chairs)
- Two MassDOT board members (one co-chair)
- Legislative leaders or designees (Speaker, Senate President, minority leaders)
- House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Higher Education
- MBTA general manager (or designee) and one MBTA board member
- Representatives from state universities, community colleges, and UMass (nominated by respective councils)
- One member from Transportation for Massachusetts
- Three gubernatorial appointees who must be students at public higher education institutions at time of appointment

Study topics (required in the report)

  • MBTA financial impact under reduced/fare-free scenarios
  • Cost, benefits, and challenges of varying discount levels (e.g., 50% discount vs. free fare)
  • Funding options and trade-offs (institutional contributions, student fees/tuition, state/federal funding)
  • Current and projected student ridership at different fare levels
  • Case studies from other states/transit authorities
  • Policy and funding recommendations for implementation

Who is affected

  • MBTA operations and finances
  • Students at Massachusetts state universities, community colleges, and UMass campuses
  • Public higher education institutions (potential contribution decisions)
  • State and local budgets depending on funding choices

Timeline and procedural aspects

  • MassDOT must provide staff support.
  • Commission must file its report with the legislature and relevant committees and post it online no later than 12 months after the act’s effective date.

Important note on metadata inconsistencies

The surrounding bill metadata (title referencing NYC school holidays, sponsors including out-of-state names, and committee referrals) conflicts with the Massachusetts bill text summarized above. Before using this summary for official or legal purposes, verify the authoritative source (Massachusetts legislative database or the bill file for S.2593 in the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court) to confirm jurisdiction, bill number, sponsors, and current status.

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

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