Bill > H14

This bill mandates that the department of higher education (the state agency overseeing higher education) create and implement a comprehensive training program for members of higher education boards of trustees, which are governing bodies for colleges and universities. This training will cover essential topics for managing educational institutions, including the open meeting law (ensuring transparency in government meetings), the public records law (governing access to government documents), the conflict of interest law (preventing improper personal gain), procurement law (rules for buying goods and services), state finance provisions (laws related to managing state money), fraud prevention, and fiduciary responsibilities (duties of trust and care). The department will work with the attorney general and the inspector general, an independent office that investigates waste and fraud, to develop these programs. All board members must complete this training within six months of their appointment or reappointment, and then again every two years. Failure to complete the training can lead to removal from the board, and the chairman must inform the governor of any vacancies. This bill also applies similar training requirements to members of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Board of Trustees.