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S 926

Relates to arbitration organizations

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cordell Cleare and 2 co-sponsors

Massachusetts colleges sponsoring study-abroad programs must implement safety planning, train staff, and publish annual reports on incidents affecting participants.

REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION
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Bill Summary · S 926

Summary — S 926 (2025): "An Act protecting students abroad"

Note: The text of the bill concerns protections for Massachusetts students participating in study-abroad and other student-sponsored travel programs. Some metadata in the file (e.g., initial title "Relates to arbitration organizations" and sponsor list) appears inconsistent with the bill text; this summary follows the bill language filed by Sen. Sal N. DiDomenico.

Purpose

Require Massachusetts secondary and postsecondary institutions that run or sponsor student travel programs (and that require participant waivers) to adopt safety-focused planning, training, and public reporting so prospective participants and their families can make informed decisions and so institutions track serious incidents occurring during program participation.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new Section 45 to Chapter 15A of the General Laws.
  • Program development and management requirements:
    • Institutions that require waivers for students on sponsored travel must prioritize health, safety, and security.
    • Conduct risk assessments for program sites and activities (including lodging).
    • Maintain written emergency plans and destination-specific protocols.
    • Identify and leverage relevant authorities and resources for emergency response.
    • Make plans, protocols, and incident statistics available on request and prior to travel.
  • Training:
    • Trip staff must be trained to anticipate and respond to health/safety/security issues (e.g., basic first aid and emergency action plans).
    • Institutions must provide pre-trip student training and updates on destination-specific risks.
  • Annual reporting (filed by November 1 each year to the Secretary of the Commonwealth) covering the prior academic year (including summer), including:
    • Deaths of program participants occurring as a result of program participation.
    • Accidents/illnesses requiring hospitalization that occurred as a result of program participation.
    • Sexual assaults and other crimes against participants, with incident details (date, time, location, whether during program participation).
    • Country, primary program host, and program type.
    • Definition of "primary program host" (entity controlling most program decisions such as housing, transport, emergency response).
    • Institutions must request hospitalization and incident disclosure from students at program completion.
  • Public access and dissemination:
    • Secretary of the Commonwealth to publish reports on its website in an easy-to-identify format.
    • Secretary must post links to the U.S. Department of State Consular Information and to publicly available reports of sexual assaults and other criminal acts affecting study-abroad participants.
    • Information provided electronically to the Department of Higher Education for posting and distribution; institutions must include a link to the Secretary’s website in materials for prospective participants.

Who is affected

  • Massachusetts secondary and postsecondary institutions that sponsor student travel and require participant waivers.
  • Students participating in sponsored travel/study-abroad programs (and their families).
  • Trip staff and partner/host organizations (domestic and foreign) that act as "primary program hosts."
  • Secretary of the Commonwealth and Department of Higher Education (reporting and publication duties).

Procedural status / timeline

  • Introduced (Senate) March 11, 2025 (Sen. Sal N. DiDomenico).
  • Multiple committee referrals are recorded (Consumer Protection; Higher Education); a hearing is scheduled for October 16, 2025.
  • Annual reporting requirement: reports due November 1 each year covering the previous academic year (including summer terms).

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Transparency and consumer information for students/families likely increase; institutions and hosts will face new administrative and compliance requirements.
  • Could improve emergency preparedness, training, and post-incident tracking.
  • The bill does not specify confidentiality/privacy safeguards (FERPA/HIPAA) for reported incidents; implementation would need to address privacy and data-sharing constraints.
  • Possible operational costs for institutions (risk assessments, training, reporting systems) and partner coordination with foreign hosts.

If enacted, S 926 would create standardized safety planning and public reporting expectations for Massachusetts institutions that sponsor student travel and require participant waivers, aiming to enhance student safety and consumer information.

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

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