Delaware 152nd General Assembly (2023-2024) Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 4 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 279 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SAFETY.

Last action — Signed by Governor

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 25, 2024. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 98% · high confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 8 sponsors

    8 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (4 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

  • 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

Section 2306 of Title 14 requires that when a new school is constructed or a major renovation is undertaken, the construction or renovation must include certain safety features, including a secured vestibule and the installation of "ballistic resistant glass or other ballistic resistant materials" in certain areas of the school. This Act adds that ballistic resistant film may be used in addition to ballistic resistant glass. This Act also removes “or other ballistic resistant materials” because it was being interpreted to require ballistic resistant desks and other features that may not improve safety outcomes. This Act also changes the review process for existing schools undergoing a major renovation. Ensuring existing schools are able to comply with the safety requirements in § 2306 can require expensive changes that are not necessarily clear from the outset. This Act requires that the school district and the Department of Safety and Homeland Security engage in the review under § 6307A of Title 29 before a certificate of necessity is submitted. This will ensure the safety requirements under § 2306 are met and allow school districts to have a better idea of how much money is needed to successfully complete the project without having to later reallocate funds from another source. The timing requirement added by this Act in § 6307A of Title 29 does not apply to a school undergoing a major renovation if the certificate of necessity was submitted before the date of this Act’s enactment into law. This Act specifies that if there is disagreement about a construction plan’s compliance with school safety requirements after the review under § 6307A of Title 29, then the school district may request an additional review be conducted by the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The Secretary shall review the construction plans and make the final determination about the construction plan’s compliance. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Signed by Governor

  2. Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT

  3. Reported Out of Committee (Education) in House with 15 On Its Merits

  4. Assigned to Education Committee in House

  5. Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  6. Reported Out of Committee (Education) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits

  7. Introduced and Assigned to Education Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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8 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 54 not signed on

Sponsors (8)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (54)

54 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 54 →

"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

Votes

SM

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 20000
Republican 14000
Unaffiliated 6001
Total 40001
% of votes cast 98%0%0%2%
How each member voted (41)
Member Party Vote
Michael Ramone — Not Voting
Paul S. Baumbach — Yea
Peter C. Schwartzkopf — Yea
Sean Matthews — Yea
Sherry Dorsey Walker — Yea
Stell Parker Selby — Yea
Valerie Longhurst — Yea
Cyndie Romer Democratic Yea
DeShanna U Neal Democratic Yea
Debra Heffernan Democratic Yea
Edward S. Osienski Democratic Yea
Eric Morrison Democratic Yea
Franklin D. Cooke Democratic Yea
Kendra Johnson Democratic Yea
Kerri Evelyn Harris Democratic Yea
Kimberly Williams Democratic Yea
Krista Griffith Democratic Yea
Larry Lambert Democratic Yea
Madinah Wilson-Anton Democratic Yea
Melissa Minor-Brown Democratic Yea
Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha Democratic Yea
Sean M. Lynn Democratic Yea
Sherae'a Moore Democratic Yea
Sophie Phillips Democratic Yea
Stephanie T. Bolden Democratic Yea
William Bush Democratic Yea
William J. Carson Democratic Yea
Bryan W. Shupe Republican Yea
Charles S Postles Jr. Republican Yea
Daniel B. Short Republican Yea
Jeff Hilovsky Republican Yea
Jeffrey N. Spiegelman Republican Yea
Jesse R. Vanderwende Republican Yea
Kevin S Hensley Republican Yea
Lyndon D. Yearick Republican Yea
Michael F. Smith Republican Yea
Richard G. Collins Republican Yea
Ronald E. Gray Republican Yea
Shannon Morris Republican Yea
Timothy D. Dukes Republican Yea
Valerie Jones Giltner Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SM

Passed 21 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 13000
Republican 6000
Unaffiliated 2000
Total 21000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Kyle Evans Gay — Yea
Sarah McBride — Yea
Bryan Townsend Democratic Yea
Darius J. Brown Democratic Yea
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 Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety education
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 279 do?
Section 2306 of Title 14 requires that when a new school is constructed or a major renovation is undertaken, the construction or renovation must include certain safety features, including a secured vestibule and the installation of "ballistic resistant glass or other ballistic resistant materials" in certain areas of the school. This Act adds that ballistic resistant film may be used in addition to ballistic resistant glass. This Act also removes “or other ballistic resistant materials” because it was being interpreted to require ballistic resistant desks and other features that may not improve safety outcomes. This Act also changes the review process for existing schools undergoing a major renovation. Ensuring existing schools are able to comply with the safety requirements in § 2306 can require expensive changes that are not necessarily clear from the outset. This Act requires that the school district and the Department of Safety and Homeland Security engage in the review under § 6307A of Title 29 before a certificate of necessity is submitted. This will ensure the safety requirements under § 2306 are met and allow school districts to have a better idea of how much money is needed to successfully complete the project without having to later reallocate funds from another source. The timing requirement added by this Act in § 6307A of Title 29 does not apply to a school undergoing a major renovation if the certificate of necessity was submitted before the date of this Act’s enactment into law. This Act specifies that if there is disagreement about a construction plan’s compliance with school safety requirements after the review under § 6307A of Title 29, then the school district may request an additional review be conducted by the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The Secretary shall review the construction plans and make the final determination about the construction plan’s compliance. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Who sponsors SB 279?
SB 279 is sponsored by David P. Sokola (Democratic), S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic), William Bush (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Sean Matthews, Valerie Longhurst, and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.
What is the current status of SB 279?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 25, 2024. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 279?
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