| SB 195 w/ SA 1 | Signed | S. McBride | The societal implications of technological developments are pervasive, and the reach and influence of digital media platforms continue to expand. Media literacy skills are necessary for citizens to safely, responsibly, and critically consume and use social media and other forms of media. In addition, media literacy education prepares students to make informed civic decisions that affect them, their families, their communities, and the world.
This Act requires the Department of Education to develop and maintain evidence-based media literacy standards for use by school districts and charter schools serving students in grades kindergarten through 12. The standards and materials must be age-appropriate and must address appropriate, responsible, and healthy online behavior.
This Act is known as "The Digital Citizenship Education Act". | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MEDIA LITERACY. |
| SJR 6 | Signed | Hansen | This Senate Joint Resolution designates August 31, 2022, as "International Overdose Awareness Day" in the State of Delaware and directs the State flag to be lowered to half-staff at State facilities and encourages local governments, businesses, and Delawareans to do the same. | DESIGNATING AUGUST 31, 2022, AS "INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| HB 304 w/ HA 1 | Signed | K. Williams | This Act recognizes advancements in the science of reading and literacy instruction by requiring that all public school students in kindergarten through grade 3 participate in a universal reading screening 3 times each year to identify potential reading deficiencies, including dyslexia, and allow for early intervention and prevention. The Department is tasked with compiling a list of reading screeners as well as literacy intervention approaches that are aligned with the science of reading that charter schools and districts may use. The Department will take into account the science of reading and evidence-based research in creating the list as well as the alignment of screeners and interventions with a multi-tiered system of support. The Department is also required to consider the burden on schools to administer screeners and the amenability of the screener to being incorporated into ongoing instruction.
Charter schools and districts are additionally required to provide the results of each screening to a student’s parent – which may be done by adding it to existing communications such as report cards or progress reports.
Finally, charter schools and districts must report, by grade, the number of students in kindergarten through grade 3 determined to have potential reading deficiencies and what intervention approach is being used, as well as the number of students receiving dyslexia specific interventions. The Department of Education is tasked with compiling this information into a report for the General Assembly, the State Board of Education, and the Governor. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO READING COMPETENCY. |
| SS 1 for SB 4 w/ HA 1, HA 2 | Signed | Sturgeon | Like Senate Bill No. 4, Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 4 requires the Department of Education (Department) to maintain and publish a list of evidence-based, reading instruction curricula for grades kindergarten through 3. Each curriculum on this list must align with the essential components of literacy, known as the “science of reading” and use high-quality instructional materials. School districts and charter schools must provide an annual report to the Department regarding the implementation of these requirements and the Department must produce an annual report summarizing this information. The information required in the Department’s report may be consolidated into a single report with the requirements under § 158 of Title 14, if House Bill No. 304 is also enacted this year.
Like Senate Bill No. 4, Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 4 also requires that by the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year, school districts and charter schools serving students in grades kindergarten through 3 do all of the following:
1. Adopt a reading instruction curriculum from the Department list.
2. Demonstrate that all educators who teach reading successfully complete professional development aligned with the essential components of evidence-based reading instruction.
3. Identify a school-based supervisory position responsible for assisting with the implementation of the adopted curriculum.
Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 4 differs from Senate Bill No. 4 by doing all of the following:
1. Requires the Department to maintain, on its website, the criteria and rubric used to identify high-quality curriculum.
2. Allows school districts and charter schools to apply to have alternative curriculum that meet these criteria approved.
3. Clarifies the requirements.
4. Adds to the list of positions that are responsible for reading instruction and coaching.
5. Makes technical corrections. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE-BASED READING CURRICULA. |
| HB 375 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Bolden | This Act establishes the Racial Equity Consortium (“Consortium”) for the purposes of studying and making recommendations to address the disparities and inequities faced by persons of color in this State.
The African American Task Force, established by Senate Bill No. 260 of the 150th General Assembly (§ 39 of Chapter 243 of Volume 82 of the Laws of Delaware), recommended that the Consortium be established. The Consortium is charged, in part, with working to implement and continuing to study the findings of the Task Force.
The Consortium’s membership includes representatives of organizations that are currently working on issues of racial justice to leverage existing resources and efforts, and to promote collaboration. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RACIAL EQUITY CONSORTIUM. |
| SB 277 | Signed | S. McBride | This Act increases opportunities for federally qualified health centers (“FQHC”) and government-operated dental clinics to serve the indigent and other underserved communities with dental care and improves flexibility with updated provisional licensing processes for FQHC and government-operated dental clinic applicants.
This Act assists FQHCs and government-operated dental clinics in recruiting dentists to serve those most in need.
This Act adds FQHCs to the Delaware Institute for Dental Education and Research Board.
This Act creates the Dental Care Access Task Force (“Task Force”) to examine and recommend a course of action to address all of the following:
(1) Dental care access, including for underserved populations and communities.
(2) Dental licensure practices and requirements.
(3) Dental provider type and scope of practice.
(4) Dental provider recruitment and retention strategies.
(5) Dental insurance networks and coverage, including for the uninsured and underinsured.
The Task Force must submit its report no later than February 1, 2023.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DENTISTRY AND DENTAL HYGIENE. |
| HB 447 w/ HA 2 | Signed | Chukwuocha | This Act implements some of the recommendations of the African American Task Force's Safety and Justice Subcommittee. Specifically, it requires that cases or charges that are more than 7 years old be treated as “resolved in favor of” a child or adult if there is no disposition available for the case and no outstanding warrants. This clarification will prevent errors in record-keeping in the criminal justice system from stopping an otherwise qualified petitioner from obtaining an expungement that may otherwise be available. It will also require old cases for which no outcome is listed to be removed from a person's record if they are more than 7 years old.
In addition, this Act allow an individual with multiple violations or misdemeanors in different cases that would be eligible for a mandatory expungement if they had occurred in a single case, and the individual has no other convictions on their record, to apply directly for a discretionary expungement after 5 years have passed from the most recent conviction. The court would then consider the application under its usual “interest of justice” rubric in determining whether to grant the expungement. This saves applications to the pardon board for multiple minor misdemeanors and increases parity between applicants with similar records.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EXPUNGEMENT. |
