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

Plain English Breakdown

The official text lists five specific conditions for remote attendance; any claim suggesting other reasons are allowed is unsupported.

Allowing Remote Attendance for School Board Members

This law requires Delaware school boards to let members join meetings online if they have specific health issues, family care needs, or military duties.

What This Bill Does

• Requires school boards to allow members to attend regular and special meetings by electronic means under specific conditions listed in the law.
• Counts remote attendees as physically present for quorum requirements so the meeting can legally proceed.
• Allows remote members to vote on issues just like they would if they were in the room.
• Mandates that the technology used must let all participants and witnesses hear each other at the same time.
• Requires the Department of Education to tell school board presidents and superintendents about these new rules.

Who It Names or Affects

• School board members who need to attend meetings remotely due to specific health, family care, or military reasons listed in the law.
• Delaware school boards that must update their meeting procedures.
• The Delaware Department of Education, which must send out notifications about the law.

Terms To Know

Quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present for a group to hold an official meeting and make decisions.

Electronic means

Using technology like video calls or phone lines to join a meeting from a different location.

Limits and Unknowns

• Remote attendance is only allowed for specific reasons listed in the law, such as illness of the member or family members needing care, public health emergencies, pregnancy-related issues, or military deployment.
• The exact date this law takes effect depends on when it was signed and will be 30 days after that event.

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.