Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 15A § 29

Current through Chapter 223 of the 2024 Legislative Session

Section 15A:29 - Definitions; use of student fee funds for legislative agents' costs

(a) As used in this chapter and in chapters seventy-three, seventy-five, seventy-five A, and seventy-five B, the following words shall have the following meanings:

"Waivable fee", any amount payable on a student tuition bill, but not a mandatory charge, appearing as a separately assessed item, accompanied by a statement as to the nature of said item and that said item is not a charge required to be paid by the student. Preceding each waivable fee shall be a statement in bold print stating that if the student does not want to contribute to the following nonpartisan organization, a mark must be placed in the respective box for said nonpartisan organization. If the student does want to contribute, said box should not be marked. The student tuition bill will also provide the student with the total amount due including the waivable fee and the total amount due excluding the waivable fee, and that said item appears on the bill at the request of the student body and does not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the board of trustees.

"Student organization", any organization of students at public post-secondary educational institutions which is open to membership of all students who pay the waivable fee and is controlled by its student members.

"Nonpartisan", as applied to student organizations not endorsing or adhering to particular ideological or religious positions in the articles of incorporation, charter, constitution, or by-laws.

"Official student referendum", a referendum vote of the student body which is sanctioned by the college-recognized student governmental association and certified by said student governmental association as valid.

"Optional fee", any amount payable on a student tuition bill, but not a mandatory charge or waivable fee, appearing as a separately assessed item, accompanied by a statement as to the nature of said item and that said item is not a charge required to be paid by the student but rather the student may add said charge to the total amount due, and that said item appears on the bill at the request of the student body and does not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the board of trustees.

(b) Nonmandatory student fees to nonpartisan student organizations which employ legislative agents as defined in section thirty-nine of chapter three, or to nonpartisan student organizations attempting to influence legislation as defined in section forty-four of said chapter three, shall be paid on student tuition bills by a waivable fee whenever students have authorized said fee by a majority vote of those students voting in an official student referendum. The continuation of said waivable fee on the student tuition bill may be subject to reauthorization by an official student referendum every two years. Necessary administrative costs arising in connection with the collection of said fee may be billed by the board of trustees to the student organization at the time of the transfer of funds collected to said student organizations.

(c) The boards of trustees shall not allow any funds for legislative agents as defined in section thirty-nine of said chapter three or organizations attempting to influence legislation as defined in section forty-four of said chapter three to be assessed on student tuition bills; provided, however, that waivable fees for nonpartisan student organizations which employ said legislative agents or attempt to influence legislation shall be collected by the boards of trustees whenever students have authorized a waivable fee by a majority vote of those students voting in an official student referendum. Said waivable fees shall be collected as provided in paragraph (b).

(d) No funds collected as a mandatory student activities fee shall be paid to legislative agents as defined in section thirty-nine of said chapter three or organizations attempting to influence legislation as defined in section forty-four of said chapter three.

(e) As used in this section, the term "legislative agent" or "organization attempting to influence legislation" shall not include any student government association or associations, individually or collectively, or any organization comprised of representatives of such associations, which are selected by students through referendum to be an official representative of the student body.

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 15A, § 29