WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

H 4060

Property tax exemption

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by John King

Requires at least 30 minutes of outdoor, unstructured recess daily for K–8 students and forms a commission to study and recommend policies on student discipline and bullying.

Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 4060

Summary — H.4060 (House Docket No. 4145): School recess requirement and commission on disciplinary policies and bullying

Note: The package of text provided contains two unrelated pieces: (A) Massachusetts House bill H.4060 (Docket No. 4145) concerning school recess and a special commission on student discipline and bullying, and (B) an unrelated South Carolina draft amending property tax exemptions. The summary below focuses on H.4060 (Massachusetts). A brief note on the unrelated South Carolina language is appended.

Purpose / intent

H.4060 would (1) require minimum daily unstructured “free‑play” recess for all public and charter school students in grades K–8 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and (2) create a 15‑member special commission to study current student discipline and bullying policies and recommend policy options to improve educational outcomes, safety, and physical and mental health.

Key provisions

Recess requirement (new Section 3A to Chapter 71)
- Definitions: “Free‑play recess” = supervised, unstructured time.
- Minimum time: All students in grades K–8 must receive at least 30 consecutive minutes of supervised, safe, unstructured free‑play recess per school day.
- Location: Recess shall be held outdoors whenever weather and air quality permit; if held indoors, schools must use an appropriate space that promotes physical activity.
- Non‑retreat: Schools may not reduce allotted free‑play recess time due to changes in standards or curriculum.
- No withholding: Recess may not be withheld to provide services under an IEP, Section 504 plan, other student support services, or to complete ordinary classroom work.
- School day accounting: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) may not exclude free‑play recess from structured learning time requirements or increase required annual hours to comply with the section.
- Exceptions: Schools may provide less than 30 minutes on shortened days (delayed openings, early dismissals, other shortened days). The requirement does not apply to field trip days.

Special commission on student discipline and bullying (15 members)
- Membership: Two legislative co‑chairs (appointed by House Speaker and Senate President), chairs of the Joint Committee on Education, minority appointments from each chamber, DESE leadership (Secretary of Education and Commissioner or designees), two gubernatorial appointees (one developmental psychology/learning science expert; one school safety expert), and representatives appointed by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Massachusetts Teachers Association, AFT‑Massachusetts, and Massachusetts State PTA.
- Scope: Investigate policies and options related to student discipline, their effects on educational outcomes, safety for students/teachers/staff, and incidence of bullying.
- Recommendations: Recommend what discipline/bullying policies should be (for elementary, middle, high schools) and whether they should be (A) binding state‑level policies, (B) state policies with incentives for districts, (C) state model policies, or (D) district‑level policies.
- Report deadline: Submit findings and recommendations to the DESE Commissioner, chairs of the Joint Committee on Education, and clerks of the House and Senate by January 1, 2026.

Who is affected

  • Public and charter school students in grades K–8 (directly affected by the recess mandate).
  • School administrators and teachers (scheduling and implementation).
  • School districts and DESE (policy compliance and potential enforcement/interpretation).
  • Students with IEPs or Section 504 plans (protected from having recess withheld for services).
  • Broader education stakeholders (commission participants and those impacted by potential statewide policy changes).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Filed on legislative docket as House Docket No. 4145 (petition filed 1/17/2025).
  • Introduced/read first time 2/19/2025 (per docket text).
  • Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means and to the Committee on Education (dates in provided materials: referred to Ways & Means 2/19/2025; referred to Education 5/01/2025).
  • Senate concurred 5/05/2025 (per legislative actions list).
  • Hearing scheduled for 09/16/2025 (Gardner Auditorium, 11:00 AM–5:00 PM).
  • Commission must report by January 1, 2026.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Operational: Districts must ensure daily scheduling accommodates an uninterrupted 30‑minute recess for K–8 students, outdoors when feasible; may require reworking schedules.
  • Student health/learning: Intended to promote physical activity, social development, mental health, and potentially improve learning outcomes; exact impact would depend on implementation.
  • Equity/compliance: Prohibiting withholding recess for IEP/504 services protects access but could require alternative scheduling for service delivery.
  • Policy outcomes: Commission recommendations (due Jan 1, 2026) could lead to future regulatory or legislative changes at the state or district level.

Appendix — unrelated text detected
- The provided packet also includes a South Carolina bill amending S.C. Code §12‑37‑220 to exempt 42.75% (forty‑two and three quarters percent) of the net depreciated value of business personal property from property tax; that language appears to be from a different jurisdiction and is not part of Massachusetts H.4060.

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

Sign in to ask a question.