An Act to establish a November holiday honoring President John F. Kennedy, to promote increased voter participation and civic engagement
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/29/2026 | Senate | Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means |
| 11/24/2025 | Senate | Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently |
| 5/30/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 06/04/2025 from 11:00 AM-05:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium |
| 2/27/2025 | House | House concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Referred to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight |
No additional cosponsors.
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J25 | Favorable | 1 entries |
| J40 | Favorable | — |
Section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “October,”, in line 100, the following words:- John F. Kennedy Day.
Section 15L of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “November”, in line 2, the following words:- in all odd-numbered years and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in all even-numbered years.
Said chapter 6 is hereby further amended by adding the following section:-
There shall be a commission on the celebration of John F. Kennedy Day. The commission shall consist of: 2 persons to be appointed by the governor; 2 persons to be appointed by the state secretary, 1 of whom shall be designated to serve as chair; 1 person to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the president of the senate; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 1 person to be appointed by the executive director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation; 1 person to be appointed by the president of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum Foundation, Inc.; and 1 person to be appointed by the president of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The commission shall recommend activities that promote civic engagement and voter participation including, but not limited to: (i) establishing a Kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, education curriculum; (ii) hosting special events; (iii) marketing, which shall include the publication and distribution of materials and online content; (iv) voter engagement activities; (v) voter registration drives; and (vi) voter access. The commission shall meet not less than semiannually. The commission shall issue an annual report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives not later than December 31.
SECTION 1. Section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “October,”, in line 100, the following words:- John F. Kennedy Day. SECTION 2. Section 15L of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “November”, in line 2, the following words:- in all odd-numbered years and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in all even-numbered years. SECTION 3. Said chapter 6 is hereby further amended by adding the following section:- Section 222. There shall be a commission on the celebration of John F. Kennedy Day. The commission shall consist of: 2 persons to be appointed by the governor; 2 persons to be appointed by the state secretary, 1 of whom shall be designated to serve as chair; 1 person to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the president of the senate; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 1 person to be appointed by the executive director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation; 1 person to be appointed by the president of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum Foundation, Inc.; and 1 person to be appointed by the president of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The commission shall recommend activities that promote civic engagement and voter participation including, but not limited to: (i) establishing a Kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, education curriculum; (ii) hosting special events; (iii) marketing, which shall include the publication and distribution of materials and online content; (iv) voter engagement activities; (v) voter registration drives; and (vi) voter access. The commission shall meet not less than semiannually. The commission shall issue an annual report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives not later than December 31.