SPONSOR:

Rep. Briggs King

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

HOUSE BILL NO. 222

AMEND House Bill No. 222 by deleting lines 87 through 88 in their entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following and redesignating Delaware Code designations and internal references accordingly:

(h)(1) Before the consideration of the Joint Resolution required under subsection (d) of this section by the General Assembly, the Controller General shall prepare a fiscal analysis of the redistricting plan approved by the State Board of Education under subsection (d) of this section (“the redistricting plan”). The fiscal analysis must do all of the following:

a. Describe all requirements on and obligations assumed by the State or a school district redistricted under the redistricting plan and any other consequences of the redistricting plan that has a fiscal impact on the State or a school district redistricted under the redistricting plan for each fiscal year following the enactment of the Joint Resolution.

b. Include full fiscal cost data estimates, including salaries, operating costs, other employment costs, capital outlays, and debt service that may be incurred under the redistricting plan.

c. State how the fiscal cost data estimates were calculated, including what facts were used or assumption made to calculate the estimates.

(2) On request by the Controller General, the Consortium, the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, the Office of Management and Budget, a school district redistricted under the redistricting plan, and any other State agency shall provide information and other assistance necessary to complete the fiscal projection required by this subsection.

(i) After the enactment of the Joint Resolution required under subsection (d) of this section, the General Assembly shall, through the General Assembly’s budget process, determine the funding, if any, to be appropriated to provide resources needed for the implementation of the redistricting plan approved by the Joint Resolution, including any additional analysis, facility, and program requirements. ”.

SYNOPSIS

Under the Act, a redistricting plan is written by the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity ("Consortium"), approved by the State Board of Education, and finally approved by Joint Resolution by the General Assembly and Governor. This Amendment removes the requirement that the General Assembly establish and fund the plan immediately, before any of the necessary steps in the process have occurred.

In its place, this Amendment requires the following:

(1) The Controller General to prepare a fiscal analysis of the State Board of Education's decision to change school district boundaries based on the work of the Consortium before the General Assembly considers the Joint Resolution required under § 1026(d) of Title 14.

(2) State agencies to assist the Controller General as necessary to prepare the fiscal analysis.

(3) The General Assembly, through its normal budget process, to determine the funding, if any, to be appropriated to provide resources needed for the implementation of the redistricting plan approved by the Joint Resolution.