Bill Sponsors
Acosta, Dimitri, and Tikoian
Committee
Senate Education
Summary
Select
This bill requires public school districts and public charter schools to give certain congressionally chartered youth organizations access to students for recruitment. Qualifying organizations must serve youth under 21 and promote skills like leadership, fitness, and civic engagement. Schools must provide at least one annual opportunity for these groups to distribute materials and use digital channels. Additionally, schools must allow representatives up to 10 minutes of classroom time to speak with students, provided it doesn't disrupt core subjects. Parents must receive advance notice and have the right to opt their children out of these presentations.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Facilitates access to youth development programs that build life skills and community service, potentially benefiting disadvantaged students who might not otherwise learn about these extracurricular opportunities.
- Includes a clear opt-out provision for parents and guardians, respecting familial autonomy and protecting students who may not wish to participate in certain organizations' presentations.
- Ensures that classroom presentations do not disrupt core curriculum subjects, protecting the educational time and resources of the public school system.
Cons for Progressives
- Mandates access for organizations that may have histories of exclusion or discriminatory policies, potentially making marginalized students feel unsafe or unwelcome in their own classrooms.
- Explicitly states that equal access is not required for non-qualifying groups, which could be used to deny access to progressive, grassroots, or LGBTQ+ youth organizations that lack a congressional charter.
- Mandates the promotion of "patriotism" as a qualifying factor, a term that is sometimes co-opted by nationalist movements, which may conflict with progressive priorities regarding global citizenship and critical historical education.
Pros for Conservatives
- Promotes traditional social values by ensuring organizations that foster patriotism, civic engagement, and leadership have direct access to recruit public school students.
- Empowers parents with the explicit right to receive advance notice and withhold consent for their child's participation, reinforcing parental rights in education.
- Explicitly limits the mandatory access requirement to congressionally chartered organizations, preventing schools from being forced to give equal platform time to radical, non-chartered activist groups.
Cons for Conservatives
- Places an additional administrative mandate on local school districts, infringing on local control over school operations and daily schedules.
- Forces schools to allow access to all congressionally chartered organizations meeting the criteria, which could include groups whose modern values have drifted from traditional conservative principles.
- Allows schools to maintain broad authority over "school rules" and "discipline," which administrators could potentially weaponize to unfairly restrict or heavily monitor conservative-leaning youth groups during their visits.
Constitutional Concerns
There is a potential First Amendment risk regarding the "Equal access not required for non-qualifying groups" provision. By granting exclusive access to "congressionally chartered" organizations while explicitly denying equal access to others, the state may be creating a limited public forum but engaging in speaker-based discrimination. If non-qualifying groups sue for equal access, courts may scrutinize whether the distinction between chartered and non-chartered groups serves a compelling government interest.
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Public school students
- Public school administrators
- Parents and guardians
- Congressionally chartered youth organizations
- Public school teachers
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 05/15/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Education
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: CHAPTER 117 ACCESS FOR CONGRESSIONALLY CHARTERED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION
16-117-1. Definitions.
For purposes of this section:
(1) "Youth organization" means any national youth development organization chartered by Congress and listed in the following sections of Title 36 of the United States Code: §§30101, 30901, 31101, 40301, 70901, 80301, 130501, 140101, and 154101; and which:
(i) Serves young people under twenty-one (21) years of age; and
(ii) Has an educational mission that develops life skills, leadership, workforce readiness, physical fitness and promotes community service, civic engagement, and patriotism.
16-117-2. Access to schools.
Upon request of a youth organization, each public school district and each public charter school shall provide:
(1) Annual recruitment opportunity. At least one opportunity per school year for representatives of the youth organization to provide displays, brochures, flyers, on school property and the use of other existing digital communication channels for the purpose of student recruitment.
(2) Classroom presentation. A scheduled date and time allowing representatives of the youth organization to speak with students for up to ten (10) consecutive minutes during classroom time and provide informational materials; provided that:
(i) The presentation does not occur during instruction in a core curriculum subject; and
(ii) School operations and instructional time are not materially disrupted.
(3) Parent/guardian notification. Advance notice to parents or guardians describing:
(i) The scheduled presentation; and
(ii) The right of any parent or guardian to withhold consent for their child’s participation.
16-117-3. Equal access not required for non-qualifying groups.
A school district or charter school shall not be required to provide the access described in § 16-117-2 to any entity not meeting the definition of a youth organization under § 16-117-1.
16-117-4. Construction.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to:
(1) Interfere with school safety policies;
(2) Authorize youth organizations to conduct activities inconsistent with school rules; or
(3) Limit the authority of school administrators to maintain order or discipline.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
16-117-1. Definitions.
For purposes of this section:
(1) "Youth organization" means any national youth development organization chartered by Congress and listed in the following sections of Title 36 of the United States Code: §§30101, 30901, 31101, 40301, 70901, 80301, 130501, 140101, and 154101; and which:
(i) Serves young people under twenty-one (21) years of age; and
(ii) Has an educational mission that develops life skills, leadership, workforce readiness, physical fitness and promotes community service, civic engagement, and patriotism.
16-117-2. Access to schools.
Upon request of a youth organization, each public school district and each public charter school shall provide:
(1) Annual recruitment opportunity. At least one opportunity per school year for representatives of the youth organization to provide displays, brochures, flyers, on school property and the use of other existing digital communication channels for the purpose of student recruitment.
(2) Classroom presentation. A scheduled date and time allowing representatives of the youth organization to speak with students for up to ten (10) consecutive minutes during classroom time and provide informational materials; provided that:
(i) The presentation does not occur during instruction in a core curriculum subject; and
(ii) School operations and instructional time are not materially disrupted.
(3) Parent/guardian notification. Advance notice to parents or guardians describing:
(i) The scheduled presentation; and
(ii) The right of any parent or guardian to withhold consent for their child’s participation.
16-117-3. Equal access not required for non-qualifying groups.
A school district or charter school shall not be required to provide the access described in § 16-117-2 to any entity not meeting the definition of a youth organization under § 16-117-1.
16-117-4. Construction.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to:
(1) Interfere with school safety policies;
(2) Authorize youth organizations to conduct activities inconsistent with school rules; or
(3) Limit the authority of school administrators to maintain order or discipline.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.