Rep. Bryan Shupe

This Act amends the Charter of the Town of Ellendale in the following ways: 1. Replaces the legal description in the Charter, instead referring to the legal description found in the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds. 2. Some technical corrections and updates to antiquated language. 3. Clarifies if a municipal election falls on January 1st, the election will be held on the Second Saturday of January. 4. Clarifies public notice requirements for Special Meetings of the Town Council. 5. Clarifies that in the absence of an ordinance regarding Quorum requirements, Mason’s Rules of Order shall apply. 6. Clarifies that for a Councilmember to lose their seat, the crime being committed must be a felony 7. Public Notice of Council Meetings is to be posted at least one hour prior to the start of the meeting. 8. Removes from the Collection of Town Taxes from the Clerk’s duties, and assigns those duties instead to a Collector of Taxes, as an alternative to the Town Treasurer. 9. In determining late fees, the Town will rely on a fee schedule, rather than 1% per centum per month. 10. Removes certain powers given to the Town by the Charter, such as the prevention of vice, prohibition of gaming, regulating the observance of the Sabbath, and the ability to levy a per capita tax on all eligible voters 11. Removes a $50,000 limit on real estate taxes. 12. The town is now permitted to borrow $100,000 on behalf of the town, as opposed to the previous limit of $60,000. 13. In the Town Budget, it will no longer be required to include the value of supplies and materials on hand. 14. Raises the amount from $5,000 to $10,000 for contracts in which competitive bidding is not required. 15. Annexation requirements now are applicable when the proposed annexation exceeds 10 acres. 16. Exercise the powers given other municipalities as set out in the Municipal Tax Increment Financing Act and the Special Development District Act. 17. Enter into certain contracts without competitive bidding in connection with municipal tax increment financing and special development districts. 18. Collect special ad valorem taxes and special taxes related to the municipal development districts. 19. Levy special ad valorem taxes, special taxes, and ad valorem taxes in amounts it deems necessary for any municipal tax increment financing and any municipal development districts

This bill creates a special license plate for Combat Veterans.

This bill ensures equal access to diaper changing tables in restrooms in public buildings regardless of the gender for which the restroom is designed.

This Act amends the Charter of the City of Milford by allowing the City to adopt the assessments of real property conducted by Kent and Sussex County. Also, it states that if the value was obtained from either of the two counties, such information will be included in the public notice, and any objections as to the value of a property shall be taken to the county where the property is located.

This act authorizes the application of funds from the Delaware School Safety and Security Fund, which is subject to available appropriations, for the retention of constables to be utilized by the LEAs.

This Act recognizes advancements in the science of reading and literacy instruction by requiring that all public school students in kindergarten through grade 3 participate in a universal reading screening 3 times each year to identify potential reading deficiencies, including dyslexia, and allow for early intervention and prevention. The Department is tasked with compiling a list of reading screeners as well as literacy intervention approaches that are aligned with the science of reading that charter schools and districts may use. The Department will take into account the science of reading and evidence-based research in creating the list as well as the alignment of screeners and interventions with a multi-tiered system of support. The Department is also required to consider the burden on schools to administer screeners and the amenability of the screener to being incorporated into ongoing instruction. Charter schools and districts are additionally required to provide the results of each screening to a student’s parent – which may be done by adding it to existing communications such as report cards or progress reports. Finally, charter schools and districts must report, by grade, the number of students in kindergarten through grade 3 determined to have potential reading deficiencies and what intervention approach is being used, as well as the number of students receiving dyslexia specific interventions. The Department of Education is tasked with compiling this information into a report for the General Assembly, the State Board of Education, and the Governor.

The societal implications of technological developments are pervasive, and the reach and influence of digital media platforms continue to expand. Media literacy skills are necessary for citizens to safely, responsibly, and critically consume and use social media and other forms of media. In addition, media literacy education prepares students to make informed civic decisions that affect them, their families, their communities, and the world. This Act requires the Department of Education to develop and maintain evidence-based media literacy standards for use by school districts and charter schools serving students in grades kindergarten through 12. The standards and materials must be age-appropriate and must address appropriate, responsible, and healthy online behavior. This Act is known as "The Digital Citizenship Education Act".

Like Senate Bill No. 4, Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 4 requires the Department of Education (Department) to maintain and publish a list of evidence-based, reading instruction curricula for grades kindergarten through 3. Each curriculum on this list must align with the essential components of literacy, known as the “science of reading” and use high-quality instructional materials. School districts and charter schools must provide an annual report to the Department regarding the implementation of these requirements and the Department must produce an annual report summarizing this information. The information required in the Department’s report may be consolidated into a single report with the requirements under § 158 of Title 14, if House Bill No. 304 is also enacted this year. Like Senate Bill No. 4, Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 4 also requires that by the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year, school districts and charter schools serving students in grades kindergarten through 3 do all of the following: 1. Adopt a reading instruction curriculum from the Department list. 2. Demonstrate that all educators who teach reading successfully complete professional development aligned with the essential components of evidence-based reading instruction. 3. Identify a school-based supervisory position responsible for assisting with the implementation of the adopted curriculum. Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 4 differs from Senate Bill No. 4 by doing all of the following: 1. Requires the Department to maintain, on its website, the criteria and rubric used to identify high-quality curriculum. 2. Allows school districts and charter schools to apply to have alternative curriculum that meet these criteria approved. 3. Clarifies the requirements. 4. Adds to the list of positions that are responsible for reading instruction and coaching. 5. Makes technical corrections.

This Act expands Erin's Law to require training and education on issues related to inappropriate relationships between adults and children, such as grooming. Erin's Law requires the Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families to develop and maintain a curriculum to be used by Delaware's public schools to educate public school employees about personal body safety and child sexual abuse. Erin's Law is named in honor of Erin Merryn, a victim of child sexual abuse, who is working to enact legislation on this subject throughout the country. This act expands Erin's Law in several respects. The Act expands the range of grades that Erin's Law applies to from pre-kindergarten to grade 6 to pre-kindergarten to grade 12. In addition, the Act expands Erin's Law to require training for school employees on the prevention of inappropriate sexual misconduct, the establishment of appropriate adult and student interactions, and the warning signs of suspected adult sexual misconduct, with an emphasis on sexual grooming. It also expands the information available to parents and students to include information on the warning signs of adult sexual misconduct, including the derivative grooming of parents, methods for discussing adult sexual misconduct with students, resources for reporting suspected abuse, and counseling available to students and parents. Finally, the Act requires training and education for school administrators, school nurses, and school counselors on issues relating to inappropriate sexual relationships and grooming, such as strategies for the prevention of such misconduct, skills for responding to student disclosures of such misconduct, and measures to promote school recovery after an incident of such misconduct.

This Act requires each school district and charter school to adopt a policy regarding appropriate relationships between school employees, contractors, coaches, and volunteers and students. The policy must include a provision establishing appropriate and inappropriate interactions; a prohibition against adult sexual misconduct; a prohibition against any sexual relationship between a school employee, contractor, coach, or volunteer and a student; an emphasis on the mandatory reporting obligations under § 903 of Title 16; a procedure for notifying the Department of Education and law enforcement of suspected adult sexual misconduct; guidelines for the preferred and prohibited methods of electronic communication; notice that substantiated incidents of adult sexual misconduct will be reported in future reference checks; and a provision requiring the development of hiring practices to screen for adult sexual misconduct. This Act will be implemented for the 2023-2024 school year.