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S 439

Enacts "the prison wage act" relating to payment for labor performed by incarcerated individuals

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jamaal Bailey and 13 co-sponsors

DESE will promote demonstration split-time high school/Chapter 74 CTE programs, create employability credentials, reorganize oversight, and report progress by 2026.

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Bill Summary · S 439

Summary — S.439 (Massachusetts): An Act to enhance the alignment and career focus of college and career pathway programs

Note: The bill text provided is a Massachusetts education measure. The metadata in the request (a title referencing a “prison wage act” and a list of federal sponsors) appears inconsistent with the bill text. This summary follows the actual legislative text filed in the Massachusetts Senate (Senate Docket No. 1466 / Senate No. 439).

Purpose

To strengthen college- and career-readiness in Massachusetts public schools by promoting collaborative career-technical education, establishing employability credentials, improving agency coordination over college-and-career pathways, and studying barriers to expanding work‑based learning.

Key provisions

  • Adds two new sections to Chapter 69 of the Massachusetts General Laws:
    • Section 38: Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to promote and support demonstration career-technical education programs in which students split time between their comprehensive high school and chapter 74 vocational schools. Student schedules must include required academic classes plus vocational courses when appropriate equipment is available.
    • Section 39: Requires DESE, in consultation with the Executive Offices of Education, Economic Development, and Labor & Workforce Development, to develop credentials for high school graduates that certify applied knowledge, effective relationships, and workplace skills consistent with the federal employability skills framework. DESE must produce guidance for districts to consider these credentials as graduation or completion requirements.
  • Agency reorganization and preference:
    • DESE must review all offices, programs, and processes involved in designating and overseeing college-and-career pathway programs and reorganize activities to foster coordination and uniform administration. In designation/certification, DESE shall give preference to district proposals that are career-themed and aligned with state labor-market needs.
    • DESE must report to the Legislature (Joint Committee on Education and Ways & Means committees of both chambers) by July 1, 2026 on actions taken and recommended statutory changes to improve coordination.
  • Work‑based learning study:
    • DESE (in consultation with the workforce skills cabinet) must study barriers limiting student access to meaningful work‑based learning (transportation, employer liability, personnel, scheduling, curriculum, logistics, etc.) and submit findings and recommendations to the same legislative committees by July 1, 2026.

Who is affected / likely impacts

  • Students (high school) — expanded access to career-technical instruction, potential new employability credentials as part of graduation/completion requirements.
  • School districts and chapter 74 vocational schools — may need to design split-time programs, adjust scheduling, and adopt credentialing guidance.
  • DESE and state Executive Offices — required to reorganize oversight functions, develop credentials, and conduct studies.
  • Employers and workforce partners — engaged in work‑based learning and alignment with labor-market needs.
  • Potentially state legislature — may receive statutory change recommendations.

Procedural / timeline highlights

  • Filed: January 16, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 1466 / Senate No. 439).
  • Introduced / read twice: February 6, 2025.
  • Referred to Committee on Education; later reported and committed to Finance (May 13, 2025).
  • Hearing scheduled: June 3, 2025, 1:00–5:00 PM (room B‑2).
  • Reporting deadlines in the bill: DESE reports due July 1, 2026.

Notes / anomalies

  • The initial title and some supplied metadata (references to a “prison wage act” and a list of federal sponsors) do not match the Massachusetts bill text. This summary is limited to and based on the Massachusetts S.439 text regarding college- and career-pathway programs. If you intended a different S.439 (e.g., a federal bill with other sponsors), please provide the correct text or clarify and I will summarize that version.

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

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