| HS 1 for HB 34 | Signed | K. Williams | House Bill No. 34 requires school boards, including charter schools, to permit public comment on each agenda item presented for a vote at a school board meeting. The public comment period must take place before the school board vote on an agenda item. The school board may reasonably restrict the time, place, and manner of the public comment period.
House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 34 makes the following changes:
1. Clarifies that public comment is not required on procedural items on the agenda that require a vote such as a request to approve minutes or enter into executive session;
2. Removes language referring to open meetings; and
3. Makes other non-substantive changes to improve the bill’s clarity.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL BOARDS. |
| HB 52 | Signed | Minor-Brown | This bill adds a Delaware licensed psychiatrist as a voting member of the Adult Correction Healthcare Review Committee. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE ADULT CORRECTION HEALTHCARE REVIEW COMMITTEE. |
| HJR 1 w/ HA 1 | Signed | K. Williams | This Joint Resolution creates a bi-partisan School Mentoring and Literacy Task Force, designed to expand volunteer mentoring and literacy education in Delaware schools ,with a report due on June 1, 2023. | ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO IMPROVE SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING AND LITERACY EDUCATION EFFORTS IN DELAWARE. |
| HB 58 | Signed | Romer | This Act amends the City of Newark Charter. Specifically, this Act increases the amount the City can borrow for municipal improvements that are directly assessed against adjoining owners of property from $500,000 to $1,000,000. This Act also exempts any short or long-term debt incurred from receipt of government revolving loan funds from the special referendum requirements set forth in the City Charter. This would allow Council to approve such borrowing directly and would eliminate the cost and time associated with holding a referendum. | AN ACT TO AMEND THE NEWARK CITY CHARTER RELATING TO THE CITY’S ABILITY TO BORROW MONEY AND INCUR INDEBTEDNESS. |
| SB 47 | Signed | Hoffner | This Act is the result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Council on Libraries ("Council"). This Act updates the Council's membership composition, defines quorum, and adds other standard provisions, including member compensation and removal.
One of the members that this Act adds to the Council is the president of the Delaware Association of School Libraries. At one time, the Department of Education had an Education Associate for Libraries, Media, and Technology, but that position no longer exists. This Act provides that, should the Department of Education ever re-establish that position or a position similar to it, the re-established position shall take the place of the president of the Delaware Association of School Librarians as a member on the Council.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE COUNCIL ON LIBRARIES. |
| SB 48 | Signed | Hoffner | This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Council on Libraries. This Act repeals the Delaware Public Library Technology Assistance Act because Delaware Division of Libraries no longer issues technology grants. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE PUBLIC LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE ACT. |
| SB 61 w/ HA 2 | Signed | Sturgeon | Teachers and other school employees (school employees) do not accrue annual leave that can be used on a flexible basis. Under current law, school employees may only use 3 days of sick leave for personal reasons and may be absent for 5 days after the death of an immediate family member and for 1 day only, on the day of the funeral, after the death of a near relative.
This Act makes the following changes to the days that school employees may be absent without loss of pay:
1. Allows a school employee to use the 1 day of leave provided for the funeral of a near relative on the day before or the day after the funeral.
2. Increases the number of days of sick leave that a school employee can use for personal reasons from 3 to 5.
3. Provides that a chief school officer may not ask a school employee the reason they are requesting to be absent for personal reasons and can only deny the school employee's request because of operational requirements.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including all of the following:
1. Clarifies the definition of “immediate family”.
2. Corrects an internal reference in subsection (j) that has been incorrect since 1971 when the language regarding excused absences by employees of special school districts, the City of Wilmington, and the State Board of Education in subsection (g) was repealed and the current requirements for the payment of unused sick leave were first enacted.
Finally, Sections 2 through 4 of this Act provide that if House Bill No. 65 is enacted in 2023, school employees will receive the same bereavement leave as state employees after a pregnancy loss. If HB 65 is not enacted in 2023, these changes will not take effect. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ABSENCES OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. |
| SB 60 | Signed | Sturgeon | This Act provides teachers and other school employees with the same protection to be absent without a loss of pay as State merit employees for all of the following reasons:
(1) To appear under subpoena to testify in a matter, other than a matter in which they are a party or which arises from other employment or activities of the employee.
(2) To report to serve on a jury.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL EMPLOYEE LEAVE. |
| SB 63 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Lawson | This bill updates the criteria for agriculture, horticulture, or forestry land use. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FARMS. |
| HCR 17 | Passed | Griffith | This House Concurrent Resolution designates the 21st day of the Month of March, 2023 as “Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day” and celebrates the beauty and contributions that people with Down Syndrome make in Delaware.
| RECOGNIZING MARCH 21, 2023 "ROCK YOUR SOCKS FOR WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY." |
| HCR 25 | Passed | Lynn | This concurrent resolution commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and celebrates St. Patrick's Day. | COMMEMORATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT AND CELEBRATION OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY. |
| HCR 19 | Passed | Longhurst | This resolution recognizes the Easterseals/CAI Volleyball Challenge occurring March 25 at William Penn High School and March 26 at Delaware State University, an event that raises funds for an organization providing services and support to Delawareans with disabilities and senior citizens and their families. | RECOGNIZING THE EASTERSEALS/CAI VOLLEYBALL CHALLENGE AND THE VOLLEYBALL AMBASSADOR, CAROLYN JERZAK IN THE 17TH YEAR OF DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN TEAM PARTICIPATION. |
| HCR 20 | Passed | D. Short | This Concurrent Resolution requests the Delaware State Fire School propose a plan for the safe disposal of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), due to the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) they contain from Delaware Fire Departments and companies. The Delaware State Fire School is to provide a report to the President Pro Tempore, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Office of the Controller General, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The report is also to include the cost of disposal and the cost to obtain safe, viable, alternatives. The concept would be to fund this disposal foam and remove it from the Delaware Fire Service by a one-time exchange of this foam voluntarily and allowing the Fire Service the opportunity to replace AFFF with a new compliant supply at no cost to them. | REQUESTING THE DELAWARE STATE FIRE SCHOOL TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM FOR THE DISPOSAL OF AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM CURRENTLY IN THE POSSESSION OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE FIRE COMPANIES AND DEPARTMENTS. |
