AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how long remote meeting rules will remain in effect after the emergency or deployment ends, leaving this aspect uncertain.

Law for School Board Meetings

This law allows Delaware school board members to attend meetings remotely if they are sick, need to take care of a family member who is ill, during a public health emergency, due to pregnancy or post-birth responsibilities, or because of military deployment.

What This Bill Does

• Allows school board members to join meetings through electronic means when they cannot be there in person for specific reasons such as illness, caring for an ill family member, public health emergencies, pregnancy/postpartum care, or military deployment.
• Counts remote attendees towards the number needed to make decisions (quorum) and lets them vote as if they were present.
• Requires that everyone can hear each other during these virtual meetings.

Who It Names or Affects

• School board members who need to attend meetings remotely due to health or military reasons.
• The Department of Education, which must inform school boards about the new rules.

Terms To Know

quorum

The minimum number of people needed for a group to make decisions legally.

public health emergency

A situation declared by the government where there is a serious public health threat, like a pandemic.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law only applies when school board members have specific reasons to attend meetings remotely.
• It does not specify how long these remote meeting rules will remain in effect after the emergency or deployment ends.

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
This Act requires school boards to allow members to attend school board meetings by a remote method under certain limited circumstances relating to health or military deployments. A school board member attending by electronic means under this legislation would count towards quorum and be able to vote as though physically present.

Current Bill Text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Wilson-Anton & Rep. Morrison & Rep. Osienski & Rep. Romer & Rep. K. Williams & Rep. S. Moore & Sen. Sturgeon

Reps. Burns, K. Johnson, Bush; Sen. Sokola

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 83

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.

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

Section 1. Amend § 1048, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1048. Regular and special meetings; quorum; roll call vote.

(f) (1) A school board member must be allowed to attend a regular or special meeting by electronic means if the school board member is unable to attend a regular or special meeting for any of the following reasons:

a. Illness of the school board member.

b. Illness of an individual in the school board member’s family where that individual requires caretaking.

c. A public health emergency.

d. Pregnancy or immediate post-partum care responsibilities of the school board member.

e. Military deployment of the school board member.

(2) A school board member attending remotely under paragraph (f)(1) of this section is counted as though physically present for purposes of quorum and voting.

(3) The means used to facilitate electronic attendance under this subsection must allow all participating members and witnesses to simultaneously hear the comments of each member or witness.

Section 2. This Act is effective 30 days after its enactment into law.

Section 3. Upon enactment of this Act, the Department of Education shall notify the president of each school board and the superintendent of each school district of the requirements of this Act and its effective date.

SYNOPSIS

This Act requires school boards to allow members to attend school board meetings by a remote method under certain limited circumstances relating to health or military deployments. A school board member attending by electronic means under this legislation would count towards quorum and be able to vote as though physically present.