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S 427

Mistreating Horses Prohibited

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Brian Adams and 5 co-sponsors

Massachusetts bill expands high school access to industry-recognized credentials aligned with labor demand, with per-student funding to districts for credential programs.

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Bill Summary · S 427

Note on source material
- The bill text provided for S.427 concerns expanding high school student access to industry‑recognized credentials in Massachusetts. (An initial short title you provided about chain‑restaurant sugar labeling appears to be unrelated to the bill text; this summary reflects the actual bill language supplied.)

Bill at a glance
- Bill number: S 427 (filed Jan 14, 2025; introduced Feb 5, 2025)
- Short title in text: “Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk Act of 2025” or the “TAILOR Act of 2025”
- Where added: Chapter 69 of the Massachusetts General Laws (new Section 37)
- Current status (as provided): Committed to Rules (06/13/2025)
- Lead sponsor (presentation): Sen. Jacob R. Oliveira
- Primary purpose: Increase access for high school students to earn industry‑recognized credentials tied to labor market demand and provide financial incentives to school districts that support such credentials.

Key definitions and roles
- “Executive Office” = Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD).
- “Department” = Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
- “Employment value” = metric combining entry wage, employment growth rate, and average annual openings for an occupation.

Major provisions
1. Annual high‑need list (Section 2)
- EOLWD must provide DESE an annually updated, ranked list of occupations that either require an industry‑recognized certification or for which a certification materially improves employment/compensation prospects.
- EOLWD ranks occupations by employment value. The top 20% of that ranked list are deemed “high employment value.”
- An occupation is excluded if it would lead to wages under 70% of the Massachusetts average annual wage — unless the certification is stackable and required for advancement to a higher‑wage occupation.

  1. Public access

    • DESE must publish the current list and make it available to all school districts and the public on its website.

  2. Certification awards to school districts (Section 3(a))

    • Subject to appropriation, DESE shall pay:
      • $750 per student who earns an industry‑recognized certification for a high‑employment‑value occupation or for a certification recognized by any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth for academic credit.
      • $600 per student who earns an industry‑recognized certification that does not meet the above but addresses local/regional demand as identified by the local MassHire Workforce Board.
    • At least 80% of any award must be allocated to the school where students earned the certification.
    • Award funds may not supplant basic operating funds and must be used to support/maintain certification programs (instructor stipends, subsidizing certification fees for low‑income students, equipment, etc.).

  3. Certification development awards (Section 3(b))

    • Subject to appropriation, DESE may award funds to develop programs and capacity (train instructors, buy equipment, etc.) to prepare students for qualifying certifications.

  4. Reporting (Section 4)

    • DESE must annually report:
      • Number of public school students pursuing certifications for high‑demand occupations, with counts by low‑income, ELL, and special‑education status.
      • Number and types of certifications earned.
      • Analysis of whether program funding was insufficient to make the awards.

Who is affected
- Public school districts and individual high schools across Massachusetts (program and funding effects).
- High school students (especially those seeking vocational/industry certifications), including low‑income, ELL, and special‑education students.
- EOLWD and DESE (responsible for list creation, publication, payments, and reporting).
- Local MassHire Workforce Boards (to identify regional demand).
- Public higher education institutions (through recognition of certifications for credit).

Fiscal and procedural notes
- Payments and development awards are explicitly “subject to appropriation” — the program depends on legislative funding.
- Awards per student are specified ($750 and $600).
- The bill mandates annual updates and reporting to track program outcomes and funding sufficiency.
- Procedural history (provided) shows committee referrals, hearings, and advancement activity culminating in “Committed to Rules” as of 06/13/2025.

Potential impacts
- Incentivizes schools to create or expand credentialing pathways aligned to labor market needs.
- Reduces student cost barriers for certifications (through subsidized fees) and supports instructor capacity.
- Focuses resources on higher‑wage, high‑demand occupations (with a 70% wage threshold and stackability exception).
- Effectiveness depends on appropriations and implementation details (how EOLWD ranks occupations, how DESE distributes awards, and capacity in districts).

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

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