Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H717: An Act establishing a special commission on special education funding
Status: In committee, April 9, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
(a) There shall be a special legislative commission to investigate and study state funding of special education services in the commonwealth. The commission shall examine the chapter 70 funding formula and the special education circuit breaker program and investigate how to improve state funding of special education services. (b) The commission shall consist of the following members: the secretary of education or his designee, who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education, or his designee; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, or their respective designees; member appointed by the president of the senate, who shall be an advocate for individuals with disabilities; member appointed by the speaker of the house, who shall have expertise in transportation of students with disabilities; member appointed by the senate minority leader; member appointed by the house minority leader; the president of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Federation of Teachers; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Approved Special Education schools; and up to 3 additional individuals appointed by the chair. (c) All appointments shall be made not later than 90 days after the effective date of this act. (d) The …
Sponsors
- Joshua Tarsky (D) · primary sponsor
- Rebecca Rausch (D, Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex)
- Colleen Garry (D)
- Michelle Badger (D)
Latest actions
- : Discharged to the committee on House Rules
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently
- : Reporting date extended to Friday, March 18, 2026
- : Hearing rescheduled to 11/18/2025 from 01:00 PM-03:25 PM in B-1 and Virtual<br> <span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">Hearing updated to New End Time</span>
- : Hearing scheduled for 11/18/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Education
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Education (March 18, 2026): 11 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H717?
- H717 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act establishing a special commission on special education funding.
- What is the status of H717?
- In committee as of April 9, 2026. Latest action: Discharged to the committee on House Rules (April 9, 2026).
- Who sponsored H717?
- Joshua Tarsky (D), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H717?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H717
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.