reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 14a - State Colleges and Universities Participation Fund

Section 14A. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the board of trustees of each institution referred to in this section shall have the authority to enter into such contracts, subject to appropriation, as in their respective judgments are desirable in order to participate in any program established pursuant to this chapter. The Authority shall establish a state colleges and universities participation fund to which shall be credited all state appropriations and other monies made available to the fund. Moneys in the fund may be used solely for the purpose of supporting the participation in the education loan program established pursuant to this chapter of state colleges and institutions under the control of the board of trustees of state colleges, the University of Lowell, the Southeastern Massachusetts University, the University of Massachusetts and the other institutions named in section three of chapter fifteen A. Monies therein may be held in custody by one or more banks or trust companies having a principal place of business in the commonwealth or may be invested in the manner set forth in section eighteen, as the Authority shall determine. Income earned on the fund may be used for any lawful purpose of the Authority. The Authority may pledge all or a portion of the monies or investments which are to be deposited in the fund, or any income therefrom, in furtherance of the purpose for which such fund is created. Such pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind against such fund from the time such pledge is made, irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 14b - College Opportunity Fund; Purposes; Pledges

Section 14B. The Authority shall establish, in such form as it deems appropriate, a college opportunity fund, hereinafter referred to as the fund, to which shall be credited all state appropriations and other monies made available to the fund and all income earned on amounts in the fund. Monies in the fund, together with earnings thereon, may be used solely for the purpose of developing, promoting, administering or supporting savings programs and tuition agreements established under this chapter. Monies therein may be held in custody by one or more banks or trust companies having a principal place of business in the commonwealth or may be invested in the manner set forth in section eighteen, as the Authority shall determine. The Authority may pledge all or a portion of the monies or investments which are to be deposited in the fund, or any income therefrom, in furtherance of the purpose for which such fund is created. Such pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind against such fund from the time such pledge is made, irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 15 - Holders of Revenue Bonds, Notes, or Other Obligations, and Trustees; Enforcement of Rights; Compelling Performance of Duties of Authority

Section 15. Any holder of revenue bonds, notes, bond anticipation notes, other notes or other obligations of the Authority issued under the provisions of this chapter or any of the coupons appertaining thereto, and the trustee or trustees under any trust agreement, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by any resolution authorizing the issuance of, or any such trust agreement securing, such bonds or other obligations, may, either at law or in equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceedings, protect and enforce any and all rights under the laws of the commonwealth or granted hereunder or under such resolution or trust agreement, and may enforce and compel the performance of all duties required by this chapter or by such resolution or trust agreement to be performed by the Authority or any officer, employee or agent thereof, including the appointment of a receiver to administer and operate the education loan program or programs, the revenues of which are pledged to the payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such bonds or notes, with full power to pay, and to provide for payment of, principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such bonds or notes, and with such powers, subject to the direction of the court, as are permitted by law and are accorded receivers, excluding any power to pledge additional revenues of the Authority to the payment of such principal, premium and interest.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 16 - Exercise of Powers for Benefit of Commonwealth; Tax Exempt Status

Section 16. The exercise of the powers granted by this chapter shall be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the commonwealth, for the increase of their commerce, welfare and prosperity, and for the improvement of their health and living conditions, and as operation of an educational program and assistance to students to secure a better education by the Authority or its agent shall constitute the performance of an essential public function, neither the Authority nor its agent shall be required to pay any taxes or assessments upon or in respect to a project or any property acquired or used by the Authority or its agent under the provisions of this chapter or upon the income therefrom, and any bond issued under the provisions of this chapter, their transfer and the income therefrom, including any profit made on the sale thereof, shall at all times be free from taxation of every kind by the commonwealth and by the municipalities and other political subdivisions in the commonwealth.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 17 - Refunding of Outstanding Revenue Bonds or Notes; Investment and Reinvestment of Proceeds; Additional Loans

Section 17. (a) The Authority is hereby authorized to provide for the issuance of revenue bonds or notes of the Authority for the purposes of refunding any revenue bonds or notes of the Authority then outstanding, including the payment of any redemption premium thereon and any interest accrued or to accrue to the earliest or any subsequent date of redemption, purchase or maturity of such revenue bonds or notes, and, if deemed advisable by the Authority, for the additional purpose of making an additional Authority loan.
(b) The proceeds of any such revenue bonds or notes issued for the purpose of refunding outstanding revenue bonds may, in the discretion of the Authority, be applied to the purchase or retirement at maturity or redemption of such outstanding revenue bonds either on their earliest or any subsequent redemption date or upon the purchase or at the maturity thereof and may, pending such application, be placed in escrow to be applied to such purchase or retirement at maturity or redemption on such date as may be determined by the Authority.
(c) Any such escrowed proceeds pending such use may be invested and reinvested in direct obligations of the United States, or in certificates of deposit or time deposits secured by direct obligations of the United States, maturing at such time or times as shall be appropriate to assure the prompt payment, as to principal, interest and redemption premium, if any, of the outstanding revenue bonds to be so refunded. The interest, income and profits, if any, earned or realized on any such investment may also be applied to the payment of the outstanding revenue bonds to be so refunded. After the terms of the escrow have been fully satisfied and carried out, any balance of such proceeds and interest, income and profits, if any, earned or realized on the investments thereof may be returned to the Authority for use by it in any lawful manner.
(d) The portion of the proceeds of any such revenue bonds or notes issued for the additional purpose of making additional Authority loans may be invested and reinvested in direct obligations of the United States, or in certificates of deposit or time deposits secured by direct obligations of the United States, maturing not later than the time or times when such proceeds will be needed for the purpose of paying all or any part of such cost. The interest, income and profits, if any, earned or realized on such investment may be applied to the payment of all or any part of such cost or may be used by the Authority in any lawful manner.
(e) All such revenue bonds or notes shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter in the same manner and to the same extent as other revenue bonds issued pursuant to this chapter.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 19 - Bonds as Investment Securities

Section 19. Bonds issued by the Authority under the provisions of this chapter are hereby made securities in which all public officers and public bodies of the commonwealth and its political subdivisions, all insurance companies, trust companies, savings banks, co-operative banks, banking associations, investment companies, executors, administrators, trustees and other fiduciaries may properly and legally invest funds, including capital in their control or belonging to them. Such bonds are hereby made securities which may properly and legally be deposited with and received by any commonwealth or municipal officer or any agency or political subdivision of the commonwealth for any purpose for which the deposit of bonds or obligations of the commonwealth is now or may hereafter be authorized by law.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 20 - Report of Authority; Audit

Section 20. The Authority shall keep an accurate account of all its activities and of all its receipts and expenditures and shall annually make a report thereof as of the end of its fiscal year to its members, to the governor and to the state auditor, such reports to be in a form prescribed by the members, with the written approval of said auditor. The members or said auditor may investigate the affairs of the Authority, may severally examine the properties and records of the Authority, and may prescribe methods of accounting and the rendering of periodical reports in relation to projects undertaken by the Authority. The Authority shall be subject to audit by the state auditor, in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards, once every 3 years and as often as the state auditor determines is necessary.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 21 - Powers of Participating Higher Education Institutions; Interest Rates

Section 21. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any participating institution for higher education shall have the power to borrow money from the Authority, make education loans, enter into tuition agreements, participate in savings programs and take all other actions and do such things as are necessary or convenient to consummate the transactions contemplated under this chapter. It shall be lawful for the Authority to establish, charge, contract for and receive any amount or rate of interest or compensation with respect to authority loans or education loans and it shall also be lawful, notwithstanding any other provision of law, to make authority loans or education loans at a rate of interest which may, during the life of such loans, be varied or revised upon such terms or conditions as may be established by the Authority. It shall also be lawful for any institution of higher education to charge, contract for and receive any amount or rate of interest or compensation, including amounts or rates of interest which may be varied or revised upon such terms or conditions as may be established by the institution, with respect to education loans.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 22 - Employees; Social Security; Security Interests in Revenues and Receipts; Priority

Section 22. The Authority may take such action as it deems appropriate to enable its employees to come within the provisions and obtain the benefits of the Federal Social Security Act. If the employees of the Authority shall come within the provisions of said social security act, their employment shall be included in the term ''employment' as used in sections one to seven, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and fifty-one A.
Notwithstanding any provisions of chapter one hundred and six or of any other provision of law, the Authority by the filing of financing statements as provided in said chapter one hundred and six, may perfect security interests in revenues and receipts of participating institutions for higher education, whether in the form of proceeds of accounts receivable or contract rights, interest and principal payable on education loans or otherwise, and in any rights to receive such revenues and receipts, and such perfected security interests shall take priority over any subsequently perfected security interests in such revenues, receipts or rights or in the accounts receivable, payments of interest or principal, goods, contract rights, or other rights or personal property giving rise to such revenues, receipts or rights provided that the financing statements filed by the Authority contain a reference to this section.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 22a - Civil Actions; Liability, Losses, Expenses; Insurance; Limitation of Actions

Section 22A. The Authority shall be liable on all claims made as a result of the activities, whether ministerial or discretionary, of any member, officer, or employee of the Authority acting as such, except for willful dishonesty or intentional violation of the law, in the same manner and to the same extent as a private person under like circumstances; provided, however, that the Authority shall not be liable to levy or execution on any real or personal property to satisfy judgment, for interest prior to judgment, for punitive damages or for any amount in excess of one hundred thousand dollars.
No person shall be liable to the commonwealth, to the Authority or to any other person as a result of his activities, whether ministerial or discretionary, as a member, officer or employee of the Authority except for willful dishonesty or intentional violation of the law; provided, however, that such person shall provide reasonable cooperation to the Authority in the defense of any claim. Failure of such person to provide reasonable cooperation shall cause him to be jointly liable with the Authority, to the extent that such failure prejudiced the defense of the action.
The Authority may indemnify or reimburse any person, or his personal representative, for losses or expenses, including legal fees and costs, arising from any claim, action, proceeding, award, compromise, settlement or judgment resulting from such person's activities, whether ministerial or discretionary, as a member, officer or employee of the Authority; provided that the defense of settlement thereof shall have been made by counsel approved by the Authority. The Authority may procure insurance for itself and for its members, officers and employees against liabilities, losses and expenses which may be incurred by virtue of this section or otherwise.
No civil action hereunder shall be brought more than three years after the date upon which the cause thereof accrued.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 23 - Powers Granted Supplemental and Additional to Other Laws; Supervision or Regulation of Powers

Section 23. The provisions of this chapter shall be deemed to provide a complete, additional and alternative method for the doing of the things authorized thereby and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers granted by other laws; provided the issuance of revenue bonds or notes and revenue refunding bonds or notes under the provisions of this chapter need not comply with the requirements of any other law applicable to the issuance of bonds or notes including, particularly, chapter one hundred and six. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, none of the powers granted to the Authority under the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the supervision or regulation or require the approval or consent of any municipality or political subdivision or any department, division, commission, board, body, bureau, official or agency thereof or of the commonwealth.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 24 - New England Education Loan Marketing Corporation as Separate Entity

Section 24. This chapter shall be independent of and in addition of the authority of the New England Education Loan Marketing Corporation established by section one hundred and ninety-one of chapter three hundred and fifty-one of the acts of nineteen hundred and eighty-one.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15c - Massachusetts College Student Loan Authority › Section 27 - Rights and Properties of Authority Upon Dissolution, Liquidation or Other Termination

Section 27. Upon dissolution, liquidation or other termination of the Authority, all rights and properties of the Authority shall pass to and be vested in the commonwealth, subject to the rights of lienholders and other creditors. In addition, any net earnings of the Authority, beyond that necessary for retirement of any indebtedness or to implement the public purpose or purposes or program of the commonwealth, shall not inure to the benefit of any person other than the commonwealth.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 1 - Purpose

Section 1. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to assure every child a fair and full opportunity to reach his full potential by providing and encouraging services which maximize a child's capacity and opportunity to learn, which strengthen family life, and which support families in their essential function of nurturing a child's physical, social, educational, moral, and spiritual development.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 4a - Sub-State Regions for Licensure of Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes; Community Plans; Region-Wide Improvement Plans; State-Wide Coordination of Services

Section 4A. (a) In order to facilitate the licensure process, the commissioner, with the approval of the board, shall establish sub-state regions within which all licensure or approval of child care centers and family child care homes, large family child care homes, and family child care systems, under sections 6 to 10, inclusive, shall be carried out.
(b) The department shall support and work with local early education and care councils in the development of community plans that address how the councils and communities will: (1) build on the local array of services and improve access to services for additional families or increase services for families already receiving services; (2) increase quality; (3) support comprehensive services for children and families; (4) collaborate across agencies; and (5) provide services for hard to reach populations. Local plans shall be reviewed and evaluated using board-approved criteria to assess the quality of collaborative planning, the effectiveness of the plan in addressing community needs and the quality and cost-effectiveness of proposed services.
(c) In order to ensure regional coordination and to maximize local participation in the programs and services of the department, the department shall support and work with regional child care resource and referral agencies in the development of region-wide improvement plans.
(d) The commissioner shall attempt to maximize statewide coordination of services by ensuring that the geographic service areas of the regional child care resource and referral agencies and the local early education and care councils are similar to each other and to the regions created by subsection (a). These regional agencies and local councils shall work together to provide and coordinate a broad range of services to promote access to high-quality early education and care programs to children and families throughout the commonwealth including, but not limited to, acting as local points of access for families seeking information about and financial assistance for early education and care and supporting professional development opportunities for early education and care providers.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 9 - Inspection of Facilities; Investigation and Evaluation of Notices of Abuse or Neglect

Section 9. (a) The department may, at any reasonable time, visit and inspect any facility operated by a person who is subject to licensure or approval under this section in order to determine whether the facility is being operated in compliance with law and with the rules and regulations established by the board.
(b) The department shall make an unannounced monitoring inspection of all large family day care homes within 6 months after the issuance of licenses for those facilities and shall, annually, make at least 1 such unannounced monitoring inspection thereafter.
(c) The department shall promptly investigate and evaluate any notice transmitted to the department by the department of children and families under subsection (l) of section 51B of chapter 119. Such investigation and evaluation shall determine whether the facility being operated by a person subject to licensure or approval under this section is being operated in compliance with this chapter and within the rules and regulations established under this chapter. If, during the course of any such investigation or licensing study conducted by the department, any agent or employee of the department receives or discovers information concerning the occurrence of child abuse or neglect, such agent or that employee shall make a report to the department of children and families under said section 51A of said chapter 119.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 10 - Suspension, Revocation, Etc. of License or Approval; Annual Report

Section 10. Subject to the requirements of chapter 30A, the department may suspend, revoke, make probationary, refuse to issue or renew the license of any person, assess a civil fine within the limits prescribed by this section, or impose any other sanctions it considers appropriate, in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the board. This action may be taken if the person: fails to comply with applicable rules and regulations, furnishes or makes any misleading or false statements relative to any submission required under the rules and regulations, refuses to submit any reports or make available any records required by the rules and regulations or refuses to admit representatives of the department at any reasonable time for purposes of investigation or inspection. The department may temporarily suspend a license in an emergency situation without a prior hearing. Upon request of an aggrieved party, a hearing shall be held as soon after the license is suspended as is reasonably possible. Any party aggrieved by a final decision of the department in any adjudicatory proceeding under this section may petition for judicial review under section 14 of chapter 30A.
The board shall include in its annual report rules and regulations promulgated by the board relative to the use of civil fines and sanctions, the types of sanctions, and the amount of those fines.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 12a - Standards for the Prohibiting or Limiting Use of Suspension and Expulsion

Section 12A. (a)(1) The department shall develop performance standards necessary for prohibiting or significantly limiting the use of suspension and expulsion in all licensed early education and care programs pursuant to clause (t) of section 2. The standards shall be developed with input from relevant stakeholders including, but not limited to the mixed delivery early education and child care field.
(2) The standards shall ensure that expulsion and suspension are limited to extraordinary circumstances where there is a documented assessment that the child's behavior poses a serious ongoing threat to the safety of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by reasonable program modifications that are accessible to the program.
(b) The performance standards shall include, but not be limited to: (i) benchmarks and goals for supporting children's social, emotional and behavioral development to (A) reduce the use of expulsion as a disciplinary tool; (B) guidance on eliminating disparities in the use of suspension and expulsion, (C) facilitate referrals for children with intensive needs; and (D) establish programs to provide transitional support for children returning to early education and care programming after extended absences, including behavioral health-related absences; (ii) engagement steps to be taken with the child and parent or guardian prior to suspension or expulsion; (iii) requirements for communicating disciplinary policies, including suspension and expulsion policies, to staff, families, guardians and community partners; (iv) pathways for programs to access technical assistance through the statewide program established in section 16EE of chapter 6A to support ongoing development of staff and teacher skills for supporting children's social, emotional and behavioral development, reducing disparities and limiting the use of suspension and expulsion; and (v) requirements for assessing and documenting a serious ongoing threat to the safety of others.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 14 - Background Information on Prospective Adoptive Families; Registration of Placement Agency With Adoptive Resource Exchange

Section 14. (a) A person whose consent is required by section 2 of chapter 210 may, before surrender, request from a placement agency background information pertaining to the prospective adoptive family in which the placement agency expects to place the child if surrendered. The board shall adopt rules and regulations regarding the nature of the background information. No agency shall be required to reveal the identity or geographical location of the prospective adoptive family to such person. The placement agency shall provide the background information in writing unless the person whose consent is required signs a written waiver of the request.
(b) Each placement agency shall register with an adoption resource exchange in the commonwealth whose goal is adoption of a child, whether the child is free for adoption or at legal risk, for whom the placement agency has been unable to identify a specific adoptive family or initiate the adoption process with a prospective adoptive family within 60 days of the determination of the goal of adoption. For the purposes of this section, an ''adoption resource exchange'' shall mean a nonprofit agency, the primary purpose of which is to link children awaiting placement with permanent families by providing information and referral services and by the recruitment of potential adoptive families.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 15 - Penalties for Violations of Sec. 6

Section 15. (a) Any person who violates section 6 shall be punished for each violation by a fine of up to $5,000 or by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 21/2 years, or by both.
(b) Upon petition of the department, the superior court shall have jurisdiction to enjoin any violation of said section 6 or to take other action that equity and justice may require.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 16 - Entry and Inspection of Facilities; Court Order

Section 16. Upon petition of the department, the superior court shall have jurisdiction to enter an order permitting the department to enter and inspect, under conditions that the court considers appropriate, a facility operated by a person whom the department has reasonable cause to believe is subject to licensure or approval under this chapter.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15d - Department of Early Education and Care › Section 18 - Grants for Development of Eligible Facilities for Licensed Early Care and Education and Out of School Time Programs; Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund

Section 18. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
''Eligible facility'', a building, structure or site that is, or will be, owned, leased or otherwise used by 1 or more eligible organizations and licensed by the department; provided, that at least 50 per cent of the slots in the facility shall serve low-income families who are eligible for public subsidy; provided further, that leased facilities shall have a lease term that is consistent with the scale of the capital investment, but shall not be less than 15 years; and provided further, that municipally-owned buildings shall be eligible provided that there is dedicated single purpose space for licensed early education or out of school time programs.
''Eligible organization'', a non-profit corporation that is exempt from income taxation under chapter 180 or an organization in which a non-profit corporation has a controlling financial or managerial interest and such corporation or organization is, at the time of its initial application, providing early care and education or out-of-school-time care for low-income families who are eligible for a public subsidy.
''Eligible project'', the acquisition, design, construction, repair, renovation, recovery from a natural or man-made disaster, rehabilitation or other capital improvement or deferred maintenance of an eligible facility.
''Grant'', a direct grant of capital funds to an applicant for payment of the costs of an eligible project.
(b) Each recipient of a grant from the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund established in subsection (c) shall be an eligible project that demonstrates: (i) a need for such a project; (ii) the project benefits to low-income children and the affected community; (iii) a financial need for assistance in the form of such a grant; and (iv) local support for the project. Preference may be given to projects that have suffered partial or complete damage to an eligible facility from a natural or man-made disaster.
(c) There shall be within the department a separate fund to be known as the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund. The department shall administer the fund for the purpose of making grants for the development of eligible facilities for licensed early care and education and out of school time programs; provided however that the department may contract with 1 or more quasi-public or non-profit entities to administer the program, including, but not limited to, the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation established in chapter 40H.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15e - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children › Section 2 - Applicability

Section 2. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), this compact shall apply to the children of:
(1) active duty members of the uniformed services;
(2) members or veterans of the uniformed services who are severely injured and medically discharged or retired for a period of 1 year after medical discharge or retirement; and
(3) members of the uniformed services who die on active duty or as a result of injuries sustained on active duty for a period of 1 year after death.
(b) This interstate compact shall only apply to local education agencies.
(c) This compact shall not apply to the children of:
(1) inactive members of the national guard and military reserves;
(2) members of the uniformed services now retired, except as provided in subsection (a);
(3) veterans of the uniformed services, except as provided in subsection (a); and
(4) other United States Department of Defense personnel and other federal agency civilian and contract employees not defined as active duty members of the uniformed services.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15e - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children › Section 3 - Educational Records and Enrollment

Section 3. (a) If official education records cannot be released to the parents for the purpose of transfer, the custodian of the records in the sending state shall prepare and furnish to the parent a complete set of unofficial education records containing uniform information as determined by the interstate commission. Upon receipt of the unofficial education records by a school in the receiving state, the school shall enroll and appropriately place the student based on the information provided in the unofficial records, pending validation by the official records, as soon as possible.
(b) Simultaneous with the enrollment and conditional placement of the student, the school in the receiving state shall request the student's official education records from the school in the sending state. Upon receipt of this request, the school in the sending state shall process and furnish the official education records to the school in the receiving state within 10 days or within the time as is reasonably determined under the rules promulgated by the interstate commission.
(c) Compacting states shall give 30 days from the date of enrollment or within the time as is reasonably determined under the rules promulgated by the interstate commission for students to obtain any immunizations required by the receiving state. For a series of immunizations, initial vaccinations shall be obtained within 30 days or within the time as is reasonably determined under the rules promulgated by the interstate commission.
(d) Students shall be allowed to continue enrollment at the grade level in the receiving state that is equal with the grade level from the local education agency in the sending state at the time of transition, regardless of age. A student that has satisfactorily completed the prerequisite grade level in the local education agency in the sending state shall be eligible for enrollment in the next highest grade level in the receiving state, regardless of age. A student transferring after the start of the school year in the receiving state shall enter the school in the receiving state at the level validated by an accredited school in the sending state.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15e - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children › Section 5 - Eligibility

Section 5. (a) The following shall be required to be eligible for enrollment in the receiving state's school:
(1) special power of attorney, relative to the guardianship of a child of a military family and executed under applicable law, shall be sufficient to enroll or take any other action requiring parental participation and consent under this compact;
(2) a local education agency shall not charge local tuition to a transitioning military child placed in the care of a non-custodial parent or other person standing in loco parentis who lives in a jurisdiction other than that of the custodial parent; and
(3) a transitioning military child placed in the care of a non-custodial parent or other person standing in loco parentis who lives in a jurisdiction other than that of the custodial parent, may continue to attend the school in which the child was enrolled while residing with the custodial parent.
(b) State and local education agencies shall facilitate the opportunity for transitioning military children's inclusion in extracurricular activities, regardless of application deadlines, to the extent the children are otherwise qualified.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15e - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children › Section 6 - Graduation

Section 6. (a) To facilitate the on-time graduation of children of military families, local education agency administrative officials shall waive specific courses required for graduation if similar course work has been satisfactorily completed in another local education agency or shall provide reasonable justification for denial. Should a waiver not be granted to a student who would otherwise qualify to graduate from the sending school, the local education agency shall provide an alternative means of acquiring required coursework so that graduation may occur on time.
(b) To facilitate the on-time graduation of children of military families, receiving states may accept exit or end-of-course exams required for graduation from the sending state or national norm-referenced achievement tests or alternative testing, in lieu of testing requirements for graduation in the receiving state; require the student to take scheduled exit test in the receiving state, if the student is able to take the tests prior to the end of grade 12; or accept evidence or information from the sending or receiving district that demonstrates that the student has met the receiving state's graduation standard, either through a transcript of courses taken and grades received from the sending and or receiving district; a portfolio of work samples for the student that addresses the required high school standards; standardized norm-referenced test results in the subject required by the receiving state for graduation; or other relevant information.
(c) To facilitate the on-time graduation of children of military families, should a military student transferring at the beginning or during grade 12 be ineligible to graduate from the receiving local education agency after all alternatives in subsection (b) have been considered, the sending and receiving local education agencies shall ensure the receipt of a diploma from the sending local education agency if the student meets the graduation requirements of the sending local education agency. In the event that either the transferring or receiving state is not a member of this compact, the member state shall use best efforts to facilitate the on-time graduation of the student under subsections (a) and (b).
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15e - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children › Section 7 - State Coordination

Section 7. (a) Each member state shall, through the creation of a state council or use of an existing body or board, provide for the coordination among its agencies of government, local education agencies and military installations concerning the state's participation in and compliance with this compact and interstate commission activities. While each member state may determine the membership of its own state council, the membership shall include at least: (i) the state secretary of education; (ii) a superintendent of a school district with a high concentration of military children; (iii) a representative from a military installation; (iv) 1 representative from the legislature; (v) 1 representative from the executive branch; and (vi) other offices and stakeholder groups that the state council deems appropriate. A member state that does not have a school district deemed to contain a high concentration of military children may appoint a superintendent from another school district to represent local education agencies on the state council.
(b) The state council of each member state shall appoint or designate a military family education liaison to assist military families and the state in facilitating the implementation of this compact.
(c) The compact commissioner responsible for the administration and management of the state's participation in the compact shall be appointed by the governor or as otherwise determined by each member state.
(d) The compact commissioner and the military family education liaison designated under this compact shall be ex-officio members of the state council, unless either is already a full voting member of the state council.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15e - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children › Section 9 - Powers and Duties of the Interstate Commission

Section 9. The interstate commission may:
(a) provide for dispute resolution among member states;
(b) issue, upon request of a member state, advisory opinions concerning the meaning or interpretation of the interstate compact, its by-laws, rules and actions;
(c) enforce compliance with the compact provisions and the rules promulgated by the interstate commission and in the by-laws through the use of all necessary and proper means, including, but not limited to, the use of the judicial process;
(d) establish and maintain offices, which shall be located within 1 or more of the member states;
(e) purchase and maintain insurance and bonds;
(f) borrow, accept, hire or contract for services or personnel;
(g) establish and appoint committees including, but not limited to, an executive committee as required by paragraph 9 of subsection (a) of section 8;
(h) elect or appoint officers, attorneys, employees, agents or consultants and fix the compensation, define the duties and determine the qualifications for those positions;
(i) establish the interstate commission's personnel, policies and programs relating to conflicts of interest, rates of compensation and qualifications of personnel;
(j) accept any and all donations and grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials and services and to receive, utilize and dispose of it;
(k) lease, purchase, own, hold, improve, use or accept contributions of or donations of any property, real, personal or mixed;
(l) sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, lease, exchange, abandon or otherwise dispose of any property, real, personal or mixed;
(m) establish a budget and make expenditures;
(n) adopt a seal and by-laws governing the management and operation of the interstate commission;
(o) report annually to the legislatures, governors, judiciary and state councils of the member states concerning the activities of the interstate commission during the preceding year and the reports shall include recommendations that may have been adopted by the interstate commission;
(p) coordinate education, training and public awareness regarding this compact and its implementation and operation for officials and parents or guardians impacted by this compact;
(q) establish uniform standards for the reporting, collecting and exchanging of data;
(r) maintain corporate books and records in accordance with the by-laws;
(s) perform the functions necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this compact; and
(t) provide for the uniform collection and sharing of information between and among member states, schools and military families under this compact.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15e - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children › Section 11 - Rulemaking Functions of the Interstate Commission

Section 11. (a) The interstate commission shall promulgate reasonable rules in order to effectively achieve the purposes of this compact. In the event the interstate commission exercises its rulemaking authority in a manner that is beyond the scope or the powers granted in this act, then that action by the interstate commission shall be invalid and have no force or effect.
(b) Rules shall be made pursuant to a rulemaking process that shall substantially, or as much as possible, conform with the Model State Administrative Procedure Act of 1981, uniform laws annotated, vol. 15, p.1 (2000) as amended.
(c) Not later than 30 days after a rule is promulgated, any person may file a petition for judicial review of the rule; provided, that the filing of such a petition shall not stay or otherwise prevent the rule from becoming effective unless the court finds that the petitioner has a substantial likelihood of success. The court shall give deference to the actions of the interstate commission consistent with applicable law and shall not find the rule to be unlawful if the rule represents a reasonable exercise of the interstate commission's authority.
(d) If a majority of the legislatures of the compacting states reject a rule by enactment of a statute or resolution, then such rule shall have no further force and effect in any compacting state.