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Bill

S 952

Makes rent stabilized dwelling units eligible for certain protections

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brian Kavanagh and 1 co-sponsor

Expands MassReconnect to cover Practical Nursing at CVTE schools, increasing scholarship access for PN students.

SIGNED CHAP.436
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Bill Summary · S 952

Summary — S.952 (2025) — "An Act to support access to vocational schools"

Status: Enacted — Chapter 436 (signed 10/16/2025)

Purpose

To expand eligibility for the Commonwealth’s MassReconnect scholarship program so that students enrolled in Practical Nursing programs at Career/Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) schools may receive the same financial assistance now available to students attending public community colleges.

Key provision(s)

  • Amends item 1596‑2418 in Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2024 by inserting language into the MassReconnect scholarship description.
  • Where MassReconnect previously covered students “enrolled in and pursuing a program of higher education at a public community college in the commonwealth,” the bill adds: “or a Practical Nursing Program at a Career/Vocational Technical Education School;” thereby making those practical nursing students explicitly eligible.
  • The amendment applies notwithstanding other laws or regulations (i.e., it is an explicit eligibility expansion within the cited appropriation/item).

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: students enrolled in Practical Nursing programs at Massachusetts Career/Vocational Technical Education schools who meet MassReconnect eligibility criteria.
  • Secondary: CVTE schools offering Practical Nursing programs (greater access may increase enrollment), community colleges and workforce partners (possible shifts in applicant patterns), and state administrators who manage scholarship awards.
  • Employers/healthcare providers: potential to expand the pipeline of entry‑level nursing professionals.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced in the Massachusetts Senate (filed 1/14/2025; read and referred through regular order).
  • Amended on third reading (952A/952B), passed both chambers (Senate 4/29/2025; Assembly 5/27/2025), delivered to the Governor 10/09/2025, and signed into law as Chapter 436 on 10/16/2025. (Committee referrals and hearings occurred as part of the legislative process.)

Fiscal/implementation considerations

  • The bill expands eligibility but does not itself appropriate new funds. Implementation will depend on available MassReconnect funds and administrative rules governing award amounts and prioritization; absent additional appropriations, the change could broaden the pool of eligible applicants for existing scholarship dollars. State education/finance agencies will determine award allocations and any needed regulatory updates.

Note on source materials

The provided package included unrelated or corrupted material (federal tariff text and PDF fragments) and an inconsistent sponsors list; the substantive text summarized above is the enacted Massachusetts bill S.952 authored/presented by Senator Bruce E. Tarr to add Practical Nursing CVTE programs to MassReconnect eligibility.

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

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