Bill
S 319
Creates a dedicated fund, administered by DESE, to expand access and improve quality of after-school and OST programs using 3% of marijuana excise receipts.
Status: COMMITTED TO RULES (last action: 2025‑06‑13)
Introduced: January 29, 2025
Filed as Senate Docket No. 1073; Presented by Senator Brendan P. Crighton (petition also lists Rep. Robyn K. Kennedy)
Note: the bill text and filing identify this measure as creating an after‑school/out‑of‑school time funding program. Some metadata provided with the request (alternate title and sponsors) appears inconsistent with the bill text; this summary follows the statutory language in the bill itself.
Purpose
- Establish a dedicated fund to expand access to and improve the quality of after‑school and out‑of‑school time (OST) programs serving school‑age children and youth in Massachusetts.
Key provisions
- Creates an After School and Out‑of‑School Time Opportunity Fund (new Section 63 added to Chapter 7 of the General Laws).
- Administration: the fund is to be administered by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
- Eligible programs: any OST program that serves school‑age children and youth and is licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), or is license‑exempt.
- Funding source: the fund “shall consist of all moneys received by the commonwealth equal to 3 percent of the receipts of the sales price of purchases received by all marijuana retailers as provided for in chapter 64N as excises paid to the commissioner of revenue.” (In other words, the fund is funded by an amount equal to 3% of marijuana retailer sales receipts/excise collections as defined under chapter 64N.)
- Rulemaking: DESE is required to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the section.
Who would be affected
- Primary beneficiaries: school‑age children and youth who attend after‑school and OST programs, and the program providers (both EEC‑licensed and designated license‑exempt programs).
- State agencies: DESE (administrator of the fund) and EEC (definitions/licensing), and the Commissioner of Revenue (collection/transfer of the specified excise amounts).
- Fiscal impact: the amount available depends on adult‑use marijuana retail sales volume; the bill does not specify grant formulas, appropriation mechanisms, or spending priorities—those would be set by DESE regulations or future implementing actions.
Procedural / timeline notes
- Introduced in the Senate 01/29/2025. Committee referrals and actions listed include hearings scheduled (05/06/2025) and committee consideration; advanced to third reading (02/10/2025) per docket entries; most recently “Committed to Rules” on 06/13/2025.
- Next steps for enactment: committee report and favorable vote, floor votes in both chambers, concurrence/resolve any differences, and governor’s signature. DESE must promulgate implementing regulations after enactment for fund distribution.
Observations / issues to watch
- The fund’s revenue stream depends on marijuana sales and the mechanics of chapter 64N excise collections; fiscal estimates/impact statements would clarify projected dollars.
- The bill does not specify application/grant procedures, eligible expense categories, or prioritization (e.g., equity, high‑need communities), leaving substantive program design to DESE rulemaking.
- Confirm sponsor list and official title in the legislative clerk’s office because some provided metadata appears inconsistent with the bill text.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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