By Mr. Puppolo of Springfield, petition (accompanied by resolve, House, No. 3606) of Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., and others for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to the costs for reimbursement to cities and towns for state-mandated busing.  Transportation

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

Jennifer L. Flanagan

Barbara A. L'Italien

Robert K. Coughlin

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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Resolve estabishing a special commission relative to reinbursements of school busing costs.

    Resolved,

A special commission is hereby established to investigate and study the reimbursement of costs to cities and towns by the state for mandatory busing.  The investigation and study shall include, but not be limited to, examining the costs of busing in each municipality, the dates these costs are submitted to the state for reimbursement,  the actual reimbursement amounts received by the municipality from the state and the timeliness of those amounts following submission.  The commission shall be appointed by the governor and shall consist of  9  members as follows:  the house and senate chairmen of the joint committee on education, arts and humanities who shall serve as co-chairs of the commission, the house and senate chairmen of the committees on ways and means, or their designees, the speaker of the house of representatives or his designee, the president of the senate, or his designee, the commissioner of education, or his designee, the state auditor, or his designee, and a representative of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.  The commission shall report to the general court the results of its study, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry such recommendations into effect, by filing the same with the clerk of the house of representatives on or before December 31, 2007.