Bill > H719

This bill proposes to add a new section to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71 that establishes an arbitration process for resolving disputes related to high school athletic program eligibility decisions. Specifically, schools and students would be allowed to seek third-party arbitration to review eligibility decisions made by a school committee or its representatives. The arbitration must be conducted by one or more arbitrators from the American Arbitration Association's National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators. Before initiating arbitration, all internal school committee remedies must first be exhausted. The costs of arbitration would be equally shared among the parties, with each side paying for their own representation. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is tasked with creating regulations to establish minimum standards for this neutral third-party arbitration process. This legislation aims to provide a fair and structured mechanism for resolving disputes about athletic program participation, ensuring that students and schools have a clear pathway to challenge eligibility decisions.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H719