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S 462

Sales tax exemption

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Brian Adams and 14 co-sponsors

Requires DESE to integrate media literacy, social media literacy, and digital citizenship into K-12 curricula, with guidelines and approved materials by Jan 1, 2026.

Referred to Committee on Finance
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Bill Summary · S 462

Summary — S.462 (Media Literacy Education)

Note: The materials provided include multiple, unrelated documents (including drafting text for other measures and embedded PDF data). This summary focuses on the Massachusetts bill text titled “An Act establishing media literacy education in schools” (filed in the 194th General Court), which is the substantive legislative text included.

Purpose

To require the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to integrate media literacy, social media literacy, and digital citizenship skills into K–12 health and core curricula so that students learn to critically analyze, evaluate, create, and responsibly use media and digital technologies.

Key provisions

  • Adds Section 100 to Chapter 71 of the Massachusetts General Laws establishing definitions and requirements for media literacy instruction.
  • Definitions provided (examples): “media,” “media literacy,” “social media,” “social media literacy,” “digital citizenship,” “student,” and “school.”
  • DESE duties:
    • Integrate media literacy skills into all health and core curricular content for grades K–12.
    • Develop K–12 curriculum guidelines in consultation with the Department of Public Health, technology researchers, and technology ethicists.
    • Publish an online list of approved media literacy curricula that meet the guidelines.
  • Minimum competencies the guidelines must include (at least):
    1. Access relevant and accurate information across media formats.
    2. Critically analyze media content and media influences.
    3. Evaluate comprehensiveness, relevance, credibility, authority, and accuracy of information.
    4. Recognize limitations of social media as a news source (e.g., lack of sourcing/fact-checking).
    5. Make informed decisions based on media/digital information.
    6. Operate various technologies and digital tools.
    7. Reflect on media/technology’s effects on private/public life.
    8. Assess how media affects information consumption and emotional/behavioral responses.
    9. Protect oneself from online content presenting clear risks to health and safety (e.g., child sexual abuse material; content promoting illegal drugs, self-harm, or eating disorders).
    10. Ensure safe, responsible, ethical use of social media and communication technologies.
    11. Create/share media with social and civic responsibility and awareness of legal/ethical issues.
    12. Participate in political, economic, social, and cultural life related to digital content (both consumption and creation).
  • Effective date: January 1, 2026.

Who is affected

  • Public K–12 schools in Massachusetts (students, teachers, curriculum planners).
  • DESE (responsible for guideline development, approvals, and publishing curricula).
  • Potentially the Department of Public Health and external experts (consultation partners).
  • School districts will need to adopt or align curricula and may require teacher training and resources.

Implementation and impacts

  • Practical impacts likely include development/adoption of new curriculum materials, teacher professional development, and DESE administrative workload to prepare guidelines and an approved curricula list.
  • The bill does not specify funding; districts may incur costs for materials, staff training, or technology.
  • Expected educational outcomes: improved student abilities to evaluate media credibility, safer online behaviors, reduced exposure to harmful content, and strengthened digital civic competencies.

Legislative status (as provided)

  • Introduced: February 6, 2025.
  • Effective date if enacted: January 1, 2026.
  • Several mixed procedural entries were provided (committee referrals, hearings, and passage entries). The attached legislative-action list contains conflicting entries and appears to combine records from different jurisdictions; confirm current status with official legislative sources (Massachusetts General Court website) for up-to-date progress.

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

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