Delaware 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026) Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 7 R · 1 D cosponsors

SB 304 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO POSSESSION OF A FIREARM OR PROJECTILE WEAPON IN A SAFE SCHOOL ZONE.

Last action — Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced May 06, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 9 sponsors

    9 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (7 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

This Act does the following: (1) Makes clear that charter schools and private schools may employ a constable or employ or contract for a qualified retired law-enforcement officer to provide security. (2) Creates an exemption in the Safe School Zone law enacted in 2023, Chapter 175 of Volume 84 of the Laws of Delaware (House Bill No. 201, 152nd General Assembly), for an individual authorized by a private school to serve a “sentry”, an individual authorized by the school to carry a firearm or projectile weapon in a Safe School Zone if certain training and notice requirements are complied with. Not every school is able to afford to hire a constable or a police officer who is a school resource officer. Therefore, the General Assembly finds that it is necessary to permit private schools in this State to employ or contract for individuals to serve as a sentry for these schools. The following states have also provided a similar exemption to their equivalent of the Safe School Zone law for a sentry: Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

3 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill expands exemptions for possessing firearms or projectile weapons in Safe School Zones to include individuals authorized by private schools as sentries, subject to specific training and notification requirements.

  • § 1457A

    “Sentry” means an individual authorized under subsection (g) of this section to possess a firearm or projectile weapon in a Safe School Zone.

    Defines 'Sentry' as an individual authorized by a private school to carry a firearm or projectile weapon.

  • § 1457A

    Subsection (b) of this section does not apply to any of the following: → Subsection (b) of this section does not apply to any of the following: (8) A sentry.

    Exempts sentries from the prohibition on possessing firearms or projectile weapons in Safe School Zones.

  • § 1457A

    An entity authorized to administer or provide oversight of a private school may authorize an individual to possess a firearm or projectile weapon in a Safe School Zone if all of the following apply: (1) The individual is employed by the private school. (2) The individual is one of the following: (a) The holder of a valid license to carry concealed deadly weapons under § 1441 of this title. (b) A qualified law-enforcement officer under § 1441A of this title. (c) A qualified retired law-enforcement officer. (3) Unless the individual meets paragraph (g)(2)b. or (g)(2)c. of this section, the individual complies with the following requirements of an armed security guard under Chapter 13 of Title 24: (a) Complete a firearm training program. (b) Comply with the annual firearm renewal process. (4) The individual completes the Delaware Emergency Management Agency’s school security officer training course. (5) The individual completes an active threat response course. (6) The individual carries identification approved by the private school indicating the individual is authorized by the private school to possess a firearm or projectile weapon in a Safe School Zone. (7) The entity authorized to administer or provide oversight of a private school has notified each law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the private school that the private school has authorized an individual to possess a firearm or projectile weapon in a Safe School Zone.

    Establishes requirements for individuals authorized as sentries to carry firearms in Safe School Zones.

Action History

  1. Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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9 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 53 not signed on

Sponsors (9)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (53)

53 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 53 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 304 do?
This Act does the following: (1) Makes clear that charter schools and private schools may employ a constable or employ or contract for a qualified retired law-enforcement officer to provide security. (2) Creates an exemption in the Safe School Zone law enacted in 2023, Chapter 175 of Volume 84 of the Laws of Delaware (House Bill No. 201, 152nd General Assembly), for an individual authorized by a private school to serve a “sentry”, an individual authorized by the school to carry a firearm or projectile weapon in a Safe School Zone if certain training and notice requirements are complied with. Not every school is able to afford to hire a constable or a police officer who is a school resource officer. Therefore, the General Assembly finds that it is necessary to permit private schools in this State to employ or contract for individuals to serve as a sentry for these schools. The following states have also provided a similar exemption to their equivalent of the Safe School Zone law for a sentry: Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Who sponsors SB 304?
SB 304 is sponsored by Stell Parker Selby, Lyndon D. Yearick (Republican), Daniel B. Short (Republican), Timothy D. Dukes (Republican), Richard G. Collins (Republican), David L. Wilson (Republican), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Bryan Townsend (Democratic), and Eric Buckson (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 304?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced May 06, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 304?
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