# Delaware HB 79: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF SECLUSION AND RESTRAINT. Delaware HB 79, AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF SECLUSION AND RESTRAINT., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) House bill sponsored by Eric Morrison (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-07-30 (Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB79-153 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Delaware HB 79 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF SECLUSION AND RESTRAINT. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-18 - Last action: 2025-07-30, Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Eric Morrison (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 8 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (50 yes, 8 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Parents get notice of school restraints: benefit, medium. Beginning August 1, 2025, Delaware's education department must set restraint and seclusion rules requiring timely parent or guardian notice after each use. The rules must include disability safeguards and address recommended or required training for school staff. Schools must record each incident,… - Stronger safeguards when schools restrain students: benefit, medium. Beginning August 1, 2025, Delaware public school staff may physically restrain students only for significant, imminent risks of bodily harm. Less restrictive steps must have failed, except in a rare, clearly unavoidable emergency requiring immediate action to prevent harm. Staff cannot block breath… - School officers need yearly disability training: benefit, low. Beginning August 1, 2025, covered school resource officers must receive yearly school-provided training before assisting or intervening with students with disabilities. This includes students protected by federal special education, Section 504, or Americans with Disabilities Act rules. Training mus… - School restraint bans have limited exceptions: mixed, medium. Beginning August 1, 2025, Delaware public school staff cannot use chemical restraint on students. Mechanical restraint and seclusion require a student-specific waiver from the education secretary, with compelling reasons and compliance with federal law. Each use under a waiver requires continuous v… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Eric Morrison (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Frank Burns (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mara Gorman (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Krista Griffith (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Larry Lambert (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Melanie Ross Levin (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sherae'a Moore (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: David P. Sokola (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-25 | Senate | Passed (SM required) | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2025-04-17 | House | Passed (SM required) | pass | 29 | 8 | | ## Actions (11) - 2025-07-30: Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2025-06-25: Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Reported Out of Committee (Education) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Assigned to Education Committee in Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Passed By House. Votes: 29 YES 8 NO 4 ABSENT (House) - 2025-04-17: Amendment HA 2 to HB 79 - Passed In House by Voice Vote (House) - 2025-04-17: Amendment HA 1 to HB 79 - Stricken in House (House) - 2025-04-16: Amendment HA 2 to HB 79 - Introduced and Placed With Bill (House) - 2025-04-10: Reported Out of Committee (Education) in House with 6 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits (House) - 2025-04-08: Amendment HA 1 to HB 79 - Introduced and Placed With Bill (House) - 2025-03-18: Introduced and Assigned to Education Committee in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2025-03-18: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=141954&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related bills - HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST LICENSURE ACT. (passed house) - HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS. (signed) - SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. (vetoed) - SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (vetoed) - HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed) - HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND EQUIPMENT. (failed) ## Sources - [Current (HTML)](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=141954&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related - [HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HS1FORHB449-153) - [HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB357-153) - [SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB231-153) - [SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB279-153) - [HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB393-153) - [HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB356-153) - [Delaware bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware/bills) - [Delaware state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB79-153 (as of 2026-10-19).