Executive Order  No. 417: Establishing a policy regarding adoption assistance to state employees

WHEREAS, adoptive families are needed across the Commonwealth to provide permanent homes for children in the custody of the Department of Social Services; and

WHEREAS, this Administration is committed to finding permanent homes for children in the custody of the Department of Social Services; and

WHEREAS, the Administration wishes to encourage the adoption of children in the custody of the Department of Social Services;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Argeo Paul Cellucci, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Supreme Executive Magistrate, do hereby order as follows:

Article 1. Definitions

For purposes of this Executive Order, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

"Eligible employee", all full and part-time managers, confidential employees and employees employed at the time of the adoption by the Executive Branch of Massachusetts state government for at least six months, or who are employed by the Executive Branch of Massachusetts state government at the time of the adoption and who continue to be employed there for at least six months after the adoption.

"Eligible adopted child", a child in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services and adopted by an eligible employee through the Department of Social Services on or after January 1, 1995, who is not over the age of twenty-five.

"Full-time employee", an employee having a work assignment where the FTE (Full Time Equivalent) value"= 1.0 per year.

"Part-time employee", an employee having a work assignment where the FTE (Full Time Equivalent) value = at least 0.50 to 0.99 per year.

"Public college or university in the Commonwealth", any Massachusetts State Community College, Massachusetts State College, and the University of Massachusetts.

"Remission", the waiver of tuition for a child adopted by an eligible employee through the Massachusetts Department of Social Services for any course, other than courses in the MD program at the U/Mass Medical Center, at a public college or university in the Commonwealth.

"Tuition", the student charges defined as tuition by the Board of Higher Education (the "Board") and established or approved by the Board for any particular year, but not including fees or any other charges.

Article 2. Declaration of Policy

It shall be the policy of the Administration to encourage eligible State employees within the Executive Branch to adopt a child or children who are in the custody of the Department of Social Services.

To achieve this goal, I hereby request that the Board of Higher Education and the Board of Trustees for the University of Massachusetts extend the present tuition waiver program for Executive Branch employees to include any eligible adopted child, as defined herein, and to provide the following benefits:

1. Remission of tuition for such children for any course at a public college or university in the Commonwealth, if the child is accepted, excluding courses or programs at the MD program at the U/Mass Medical Center. Remission shall be 100% of tuition for state-supported programs and 50% of tuition for non-state supported continuing education courses as described below.
2. Eligibility for this benefit will continue until an eligible child reaches the age of 25 regardless of the parent's employment status in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and regardless of the child's relationship with the State employee.
3. Tuition remission may be granted to an eligible adopted child for courses or programs commencing on or after September 1, 1999.

Article 3. Implementation

I hereby direct the Secretary of Administration and Finance, in conjunction with the Personnel Administrator and the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services, to collaborate with the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and the Board of Trustees for the University of Massachusetts to define and promulgate to the rest of state government policies and procedures for participation in the tuition remission program for any eligible adopted child. Such policies and procedures shall be informed by the following guidelines:

1. The eligible adopted child seeking tuition remission must apply for admission and meet all admission standards of the public college or university in the Commonwealth for which the child seeks tuition remission.
2. Tuition remission shall be 100% for courses and programs that are part of any of the regular state-supported offerings of the public college or university in the Commonwealth, excluding the MD program at the U/Mass Medical Center, for any eligible adopted child. "State-supported" means that instructional and other costs are paid from state appropriations or related sources.
3. Tuition remission shall be 50% for any non-state supported course or program offered by any public college or university in the Commonwealth for any eligible adopted child.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this 11th day of December in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine.

Argeo Paul Cellucci

Governor

William Francis Galvin

Secretary of the Commonwealth