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Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts bill awards school districts funds for student industry certifications
Last action · July 30, 2026: Accompanied a study order, see S3238Sponsor: Jake Oliveira
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What This Bill Would Do
Massachusetts directs the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to rank high-need occupations and award funding to school districts when students earn qualifying industry-recognized credentials. Subject to , districts receive $750 for high-value or college-credit certifications and $600 for regional demand certifications. At least 80% of awards must go directly to the school whose students earned the certification to support instructor stipends and low-income student fees.
Public school districts become eligible for direct financial awards tied to student credential attainment, with specific funding mandated for individual school program maintenance and student fee subsidies.
- Jacob R. Oliveira represents the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court and sponsored the petition for Senate Bill 427. context
- The bill amends Chapter 69 of the General Laws of Massachusetts by adding Section 37 to formalize high school certification awards. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
school districts
School districts receive certification and development awards based on student credential attainment and must allocate at least 80% of funds to the earning school.
public school students
Students obtain industry-recognized certifications that may qualify for college academic credit or receive fee subsidies if low-income.
school instructors
Instructors may receive stipends paid out of certification awards and participate in program development training.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding do school districts receive per student?
How must schools use the certification award money?
What occupations are excluded from the high-value certification list?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
5 actions- Jul 30, 2026SenateAccompanied a study order, see S3238
- Jul 2, 2026SenateReporting date extended to Friday July 31, 2026
- May 23, 2025JointHearing scheduled for 06/03/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-2
- Feb 27, 2025HouseHouse concurred
- Feb 27, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to the committee on Education
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Study Order Linkage
According to the official progress record, this bill accompanied a study order documented as S3238.
Connected Entities
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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