HB256 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 404 OF VOLUME 83 AND CHAPTER 108 OF VOLUME 84 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE AND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUPIL AND STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARDS.

Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Morrison
Last action: 2026-05-21
Official status: Signed 5/21/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill makes technical corrections but does not explicitly state the cost of implementation or enforcement penalties for non-compliance.

Delaware Law Requiring Safety Hotlines on Student ID Cards

This law requires public middle and high schools, as well as public colleges in Delaware that issue identification cards to print specific safety hotline numbers on them starting July 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Requires public schools serving grades 7 through 12 to print five specific safety hotlines on either side of pupil ID cards if they issue them.
Makes the Teen Dating Violence Hotline and Stop Bullying Now Hotline mandatory prints, whereas these were previously optional for some groups.
Removes old dates that limited when previous laws about ID card information would apply.
Sets a new effective date for all related rules on July 1, 2026.
Allows schools to finish using their current supply of older ID cards before switching to the new design.

Who It Names or Affects

Public middle and high schools in Delaware serving grades 7 through 12 that issue identification cards.
Students attending these public schools who receive pupil identification cards.
Public colleges and universities in Delaware that issue student identification cards.
Administrators at these schools responsible for printing or ordering ID cards.

Terms To Know

Pupil Identification Card: An official card issued by a school to identify students in grades K-12.
Effective Date: The specific day when the new law officially starts and must be followed, which is July 1, 2026 for this bill.

Limits and Unknowns

This law only applies to public schools; private or charter schools are not mentioned in this text.
Schools may continue using old ID cards until their current supply runs out, so the new numbers will appear gradually.
The bill does not specify how much it costs for schools to reprint these identification cards.

Bill History

2026-05-21 Delaware General Assembly
Signed by Governor
2026-04-22 Delaware General Assembly
Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
2026-04-15 Delaware General Assembly
Reported Out of Committee (Education) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 5 On Its Merits
2026-03-26 Delaware General Assembly
Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT
2026-03-26 Delaware General Assembly
Assigned to Education Committee in Senate
2026-03-11 Delaware General Assembly
Reported Out of Committee (Education) in House with 1 Favorable, 11 On Its Merits
2025-12-18 Delaware General Assembly
Introduced and Assigned to Education Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 404 OF VOLUME 83 AND CHAPTER 108 OF VOLUME 84 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE AND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUPIL AND STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARDS.
This Act requires public schools serving grades 7 to 12 that issue pupil identification cards to print on either side of the card the following information, which previously was optional for the public schools:
(1) Teen Dating Violence Hotline:1-866-331-9474 or Text “loveis” to 22522.
(2) Stop Bullying Now Hotline: 1-800-273-8255(TALK).

Sections 1 and 2 of this Act remove application dates from the previous enactments of laws related to information printed on pupil identification cards for public schools serving grades 7 to 12 and on student identification cards for public institutions of higher learning. These application dates could be interpreted to mean that the previous enactments of these laws were to be effective only during the stated school years. By removing these application dates and establishing the effective date in Section 5 of this Act, these laws will be effective on July 1, 2026.

This Act also makes technical corrections in Sections 3 and 4 of this Act to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Morrison & Sen. Lockman

Reps. Berry, Burns, Gorman, K. Johnson, Ortega, Osienski, Ross Levin, Kamela Smith, Lynn, Harris; Sens. Hoffner, Sokola

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 256

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 404 OF VOLUME 83 AND CHAPTER 108 OF VOLUME 84 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE AND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUPIL AND STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARDS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Section 3, Chapter 404, Volume 83 of the Laws of Delaware by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

Section 3. This Act takes effect for the 2022-2023 school year.

Section 2. Amend Section 3, Chapter 108, Volume 84 of the Laws of Delaware by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

Section 3. This Act takes effect for the 2023-2024 school year.

Section 3. Amend § 4144, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 4144. Pupil identification cards; publication of safety hotline numbers

[For application of this section, see 83 Del. Laws, c. 404, § 3; and 84 Del. Laws, c. 108, § 3]

.

(a) All public schools serving pupils in grades 7 to 12 that issue pupil identification cards shall have printed on either side of the pupil identification card the following public safety telephone or text numbers:

(1) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text “988”.

(2) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).

(3) Crisis Text Line:

Text “DE” to 741741.

(4) Teen Dating Violence Hotline:1-866-331-9474 or Text “loveis” to 22522.

(5) Stop Bullying Now Hotline: 1-800-273-8255(TALK).

(b) All public schools serving pupils in grades 7 to 12 that issue pupil identification cards, in addition to printing the required public safety

numbers,

numbers

listed in subsection (a) of this

section,

section

on the pupil identification cards, may also print the following telephone

or text numbers:

number for the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673(HOPE).

(1) National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673(HOPE).

(2) Teen Dating Violence Hotline:1-866-331-9474 or Text “loveis” to 22522.

(3) Stop Bullying Now Hotline: 1-800-273-8255(TALK).

(c)

In the event

If

any of the numbers listed in subsection (a) or (b) of this section have been

updated

updated,

the most updated numbers

shall

must

be printed on the pupil identification

card.

card when the card is reissued or reprinted.

(d) If a public school has unissued pupil identification

cards,

cards

that do not comply with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, the school may continue to issue the identification cards until

they are

the school’s supply of identification cards is

depleted.

Section 4. Amend § 9001B, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 9001B. Publication of safety hotline numbers

[For application of this section, see 83 Del. Laws, c. 404, § 3; and 84 Del. Laws, c. 108, § 3]

.

(a) Every public institution of higher learning in this State that issues student identification cards shall have printed on either side of the student identification

cards

card

the following public safety telephone and text numbers:

(1) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text “988”.

(2) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233(SAFE).

(3) Crisis Text Line:

Text “DE” to 741741.

(4) Local campus police or campus security phone number.

(b) Every public institution of higher learning in this State that issues student identification cards, in addition to printing the required public safety numbers listed in subsection (a) of this

section,

section

on the student identification card, may also print the following telephone

number:

number for the

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673(HOPE).

(c)

In the event

If

any of the numbers listed in subsection (a) or (b) of this section have been

updated

updated,

the most updated numbers

shall

must

be printed on the student identification

cards.

card when the card is reissued or reprinted.

(d) If

an

a public

institution of higher learning has unissued student identification

cards,

cards

that do not comply with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, the institution may continue to issue the identification cards until

they are

the institution’s supply of the identification cards is

depleted.

Section 5. This Act takes effect on July 1, 2026.

SYNOPSIS

This Act requires public schools serving grades 7 to 12 that issue pupil identification cards to print on either side of the card the following information, which previously was optional for the public schools:

(1) Teen Dating Violence Hotline:1-866-331-9474 or Text “loveis” to 22522.

(2) Stop Bullying Now Hotline: 1-800-273-8255(TALK).

Sections 1 and 2 of this Act remove application dates from the previous enactments of laws related to information printed on pupil identification cards for public schools serving grades 7 to 12 and on student identification cards for public institutions of higher learning. These application dates could be interpreted to mean that the previous enactments of these laws were to be effective only during the stated school years. By removing these application dates and establishing the effective date in Section 5 of this Act, these laws will be effective on July 1, 2026.

This Act also makes technical corrections in Sections 3 and 4 of this Act to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.