HB 34 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL BOARDS.
Last action — Signed by Governor
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed House
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✓Passed Senate
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 17, 2023. Enacted.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
HighHow often bills like it became law.
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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19 sponsors
19 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (10 D · 4 R) — cross-party backing.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 recorded votes so far.
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
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.
Bill Text
- Bill Text View text Current pdf
Action History
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Signed by Governor
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 1 NO 1 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Education) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 6 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Education Committee in Senate
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Passed By House. Votes: 39 YES 2 ABSENT
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Adopted in lieu of the original bill HB 34, and Assigned to Education Committee in House
Sponsors
- John "Jack" Walsh · Primary
- Laura V. Sturgeon · Primary
- Bryant L. Richardson · Primary
- Brian Pettyjohn · Primary
- Russell Huxtable · Primary
- Kendra Johnson · Primary
- Michael F. Smith · Primary
- Cyndie Romer · Primary
- David L. Wilson · Primary
- Eric Morrison · Primary
- David P. Sokola · Primary
- Spiros Mantzavinos · Primary
- S. Elizabeth Lockman · Primary
- Kimberly Williams · Primary
- Sean Matthews · Primary
- Valerie Longhurst · Primary
- Sarah McBride · Primary
- Paul S. Baumbach · Primary
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →19 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 43 not signed on · 1 voted No
Sponsors (19)
- John "Jack" Walsh Democratic
- Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic
- Bryant L. Richardson Republican
- Brian Pettyjohn Republican
- Russell Huxtable Democratic
- Kendra Johnson Democratic
- Michael F. Smith Republican
- Cyndie Romer Democratic
- David L. Wilson Republican
- Eric Morrison Democratic
- David P. Sokola Democratic
- Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic
- S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic
- Kimberly Williams Democratic
- Sean Matthews
- Valerie Longhurst
- Sarah McBride
- Paul S. Baumbach
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (43)
43 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 43 →"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.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 90% | 5% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (21)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Evans Gay | — | Yea |
| Sarah McBride | — | Yea |
| Bryan Townsend | Democratic | Yea |
| Darius J. Brown | Democratic | Nay |
| David P. Sokola | Democratic | Yea |
| John "Jack" Walsh | Democratic | Yea |
| Kyra L. Hoffner | Democratic | Yea |
| Laura V. Sturgeon | Democratic | Yea |
| Marie Pinkney | Democratic | Yea |
| Nicole Poore | Democratic | Yea |
| Russell Huxtable | Democratic | Yea |
| S. Elizabeth Lockman | Democratic | Yea |
| Spiros Mantzavinos | Democratic | Yea |
| Stephanie L. Hansen | Democratic | Yea |
| Trey Paradee | Democratic | Yea |
| Brian Pettyjohn | Republican | Yea |
| Bryant L. Richardson | Republican | Yea |
| Dave G. Lawson | Republican | Yea |
| David L. Wilson | Republican | Yea |
| Eric Buckson | Republican | Not Voting |
| Gerald W. Hocker | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 39 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (41)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HB 34 do?
- 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.
- Who sponsors HB 34?
- HB 34 is sponsored by John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), Bryant L. Richardson (Republican), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Kendra Johnson (Democratic), Michael F. Smith (Republican), Cyndie Romer (Democratic), David L. Wilson (Republican), Eric Morrison (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Spiros Mantzavinos (Democratic), S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic), Kimberly Williams (Democratic), Sean Matthews, Valerie Longhurst, Sarah McBride, Paul S. Baumbach, and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.
- What is the current status of HB 34?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 17, 2023. Enacted.
- Where can I track HB 34?
- Track HB 34 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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