House Substitute 1 for House Bill 119 – Permits local districts substantially more discretion with respect to expenditure of state education funds. It also establishes a number of safeguards to ensure that those funds are spent in a responsible manner that enhances student achievement, including state approval of local district budgets, a requirement of full transparency for local district expenditures, and the establishment of citizen financial oversight committees for each district.

Status: SIGNED

House Bill 120 – Amends the state’s “zero tolerance” provision to give school boards the discretion to modify the terms of expulsion or determine that expulsion is not appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

Status: SIGNED

House Bill 139 – Expands health insurance coverage for children of families with personal incomes above 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Allows parents to pay a monthly premium of approximately $170 per child plus administrative costs, which would provide the same level of coverage the child would receive under CHIP or Medicaid. Since the parents would bear the cost of the premium, it would cost the state nothing to implement the program.

Status: SIGNED

House Bill 190 – Requires the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families to conduct drug testing of its employees.

Status: HOUSE PASSED, IN SENATE

House Bill 199 – Requires that private health insurers in Delaware cover the developmental screenings for infants and toddlers that are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Delaware Early Childhood Council. Such screenings are already covered for children in the state’s Medicaid program. The estimated cost to policyholders of covering these screenings is three cents per member per month.

Status: HOUSE PASSED, IN SENATE