Delaware · House Bill 47 · 153rd General Assembly

Background Checks/Private Schools/Youth Camps

HB 47 Sponsored by Kimberly Williams Withdrawn

  1. Introduced Mar 6, 2025
  2. In committee Mar 6, 2025
  3. Withdrawn  
  4. Passed the Senate  
  5. To the governor  
  6. Became law  

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

This Act incorporates changes made by HS1 for HB204, which was passed by both chambers during the 151st General Assembly, but never enacted into law. It removes the exemption for private schools and youth camps that allows them to use a name-based, rather than a fingerprint-based, background check or choose not to do background checks at all for employees, contractors and volunteers. This Act also authorizes the…

Read the full title (198 words)

This Act incorporates changes made by HS1 for HB204, which was passed by both chambers during the 151st General Assembly, but never enacted into law. It removes the exemption for private schools and youth camps that allows them to use a name-based, rather than a fingerprint-based, background check or choose not to do background checks at all for employees, contractors and volunteers. This Act also authorizes the Superintendent of State Police to promulgate regulations relating to re-use of a criminal background check. The State Bureau of Identification is also required to provide subsequent criminal history information to the agency receiving background check information. Authority is given to the Department of Education to pay the costs of background checks for its employees. The Act also creates a new § 309A in Title 31, in response to a request from the federal government that the statutory authorization/requirement for private school background checks be separated from the statutory authorization for state and local government authorities. The Act also makes some technical and clarifying changes to existing statutory language. The Act takes effect on July 1, 2025 and child-serving entities and private schools must comply with the requirements by September 1, 2025.

Every action

10 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

  1. CommitteeIntroduced and Assigned to Education Committee in House · House Education
  2. CommitteeReported Out of Committee (Education) in House with 3 Favorable, 7 On Its Merits · House Education
  3. HouseSubstituted in House by HS 1 for HB 47
  4. HouseSubstituted in House by HS 1 for HB 47
  5. HouseHS 1 for HB 47 - - Passed In House by Voice Vote
  6. HouseHS 1 for HB 47 - Passed By House. Votes: 35 YES 6 ABSENT
  7. SenateHS 1 for HB 47 - Assigned to Education Committee in Senate
  8. SenateHS 1 for HB 47 - Reported Out of Committee (Education) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits
  9. SenateHS 1 for HB 47 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
  10. HS 1 for HB 47 - Signed by Governor

Roll calls

No recorded votes on this bill yet.

Sponsors

The member who introduced it, joined by 7 cosponsors: 5 Democrats, 2 Republicans.

All 7 cosponsors

From Delaware's official records (legis.delaware.gov), checked Nov 1, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.