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HB379 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

Children Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Berry
Last action
2026-05-14
Official status
Lieu/Substituted 5/14/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the amount of funding or the number of schools that will benefit from this program.

Improving School Discipline Programs

This act updates Delaware's school discipline improvement program by changing how prevention-related student support services are provided and administered.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the Family Services Cabinet Council to the Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families as lead agencies in administering prevention programs.
  • Updates the types of prevention services offered to include academic tutoring, mentoring, outreach programs, school-linked support services, conflict resolution training, and teacher management training.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local school districts in Delaware
  • The Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families

Terms To Know

prevention services
Programs designed to help students before they face academic or behavioral issues.
integrated plan
A comprehensive strategy that local school districts must develop for providing prevention services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact amount of funding available.
  • It is unclear how many schools will benefit from this program.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-14 Delaware General Assembly

    Substituted in House by HS 1 for HB 379

  2. 2026-05-06 Delaware General Assembly

    Not Worked in Committee

  3. 2026-04-23 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Education Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
This Act adds clarifying language to the comprehensive school discipline improvement program to explicitly offer prevention related student support services. This Act also changes references to the council to the Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. This Act also makes technical corrections 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. Berry & Sen. Sturgeon

Reps. Morrison, Gorman

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 379

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

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

Section 1. Amend § 1605A, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1605A. Prevention component.

The Family Services Cabinet Council (Council), with the

The

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families acting as lead agencies,

shall

must

administer a program to offer prevention-related student support services (prevention services) to students

to prevent them from becoming discipline problems and from failing academically

to promote positive student behavior and prevent them from failing academically

in our schools. Within the limits of appropriations made for this purpose, the

Council shall

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families must

provide rules and regulations for the award of prevention grants and the conduct of prevention programs authorized under this section, subject to the following limitations:

(1)

The Council shall

The Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families must

issue prevention funding to local school districts proposing to establish an integrated plan to deliver prevention services

including, but not limited to,

including:

a.

academic

Academic

tutoring and student mentoring programs to provide at-risk students with the extra help they may need to succeed academically and with positive adult

role models;

role models.

b.

outreach

Outreach

programs to promote parental,

family

family.

and community involvement in students’ academic studies and in reducing and resolving

school discipline problems;

challenges to positive student behavior.

c.

school-linked

School-linked

support services to help students with family or health problems that may be adversely affecting their academic performance and their conduct at

school;

school.

d.

training

Training

to help students and school personnel resolve conflicts peacefully and

non-disruptively;

non-disruptively.

e. Removing barriers that prevent or limit the time available for school-based mental health professionals to proactively provide necessary direct or indirect services to students, compensating school employees to serve as school climate content experts,

and assistance to help teachers better manage the behavior of students in their

classrooms.

classrooms, including training in restorative practices, and support for district-level committees to revise discipline policies to reduce subjectivity and provide greater clarity regarding behavioral expectations and appropriate consequences.

(2) Applications for funding pursuant to this section shall be made by school districts in accordance with procedures and standards established by the

Council.

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families.

Each applicant shall set forth an integrated plan to provide prevention services consistent with paragraph (1) of this section. To avoid duplication of effort, maximize the impact of limited resources, and increase the effect of efforts by state, local, community and private, nonprofit agencies through increased coordination and cooperation, the

Council

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families

shall give preference to applications which:

a. Are submitted by 2 or more school districts working in concert, where appropriate;

b. Include private, nonprofit agencies and community organizations as partners in the application, and identify the roles those agencies and organizations are to play in delivering prevention services in the community;

c. Indicate how grants from the federal government and foundations will be used or sought to help deliver prevention services in the community; and

d. Identify the roles state and local agencies are to play in delivering prevention services in the community.

(3) The

Council shall

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families must

provide technical assistance to districts preparing applications and ongoing assistance to districts awarded funding pursuant to this section.

(4) The

Council shall

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families must

establish a timetable for the award of grants pursuant to this section which shall provide, at minimum, for a period of 1 month for joint planning between the

Council

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families

and the applicants that the

Counsel

Departments

selects

select

as finalists eligible for a funding award. During such joint planning, the

Council

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families

and the applicant shall refine the applicant’s prevention plan, ensure that the plan makes cost-effective use of the resources and services of state, local, community and private, nonprofit agencies, and consider the incorporation of successful elements of other districts’ prevention programs into the applicant’s plans. Final awards shall be made by the

Council

Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families

on or before January 15 of each year for the subsequent school year, contingent upon the appropriation of funds for such purpose in the annual appropriations act.

SYNOPSIS

This Act adds clarifying language to the comprehensive school discipline improvement program to explicitly offer prevention related student support services. This Act also changes references to the council to the Department of Education and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.