Terry Schooley, Delaware's 23rd District Representative
Legislative Issues

Economics—Terry believes economic recovery begins with a responsive innovative government that is prepared to bring new companies to Delaware and create jobs in emerging fields and industries. That is why she supported funding from the state to help develop the old Chrysler site to bring new and innovative jobs to Delaware. Terry is committed to green jobs and energy policies that will benefit us now and for years to come and understands the key to stable families and communities in Delaware is an environment that supports investment and entrepreneurship.

Education—Terry’s leadership as Chair of the House Education Committee helped Delaware secure a coveted Race to the Top Award which will provide significant funding and support to Delaware’s K-12 schools establish innovative reforms to set students up for success. Terry believes that our state’s future depends on the quality of our schools; our students are competing not only nationally, but internationally. She works tirelessly to ensure that all of our children have access to early childhood programs, to help schools initiate reforms to close the achievement gap, and to make sure higher education is accessible and attainable for all of Delaware’s kids.

Children—Throughout her career, Terry has advocated for children. From providing health and dental care to children to ensuring newborn and infant hearing screenings to supporting initiatives to alleviate child poverty, Terry is a leading voice for Delaware’s children. Terry is an original founder and Co-Chair of the General Assembly’s Kids Caucus, which sponsors legislation to improve the lives of Delaware’s children and families.

Energy and Environment—Terry believes our energy policies should support efficiencies and maintain the health of our environment.

Health and Safety—This summer, Terry’s legislation to create the Blue Alert system to help capture persons suspected of killing or seriously injuring a law enforcement officer was signed into law. Ensuring our families and communities are healthy and safe is one of Terry’s top priorities. Over the years she has fought for increased protections for victims of domestic violence, health programs such as sterile needle exchange programs, and health insurance for Delaware’s poorest citizens.

Government and Services—Every Delaware resident deserves a government that is transparent and accountable to them. That’s why Terry cosponsored legislation which puts all expenditures of the general assembly on the state webpage as well as legislation opening up the freedom of information act.

Economics

• Permitted consumers to “freeze” access to their credit files. Would eventually require that consumer-authorized access to credit histories take no longer than 15 minutes. Provided an identity theft victim the right to request that a police report be prepared regarding such crimes. SS 1 for SB 109
• Created identity theft "passports" for persons who are victims of identity theft and have filed police reports regarding such thefts. HB 334 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Increased the minimum wage from $6.15/hour to $7.15/hour. SB 62
• Amended the Delaware Bank Franchise Tax to encourage major banks to locate their charters in Delaware. SB 249
• Requested that the Governor and the Director of the Delaware State Housing Authority retain a consultant to consider whether the Delaware State Housing Authority’s structure, function, and policies are aligned with the best management practices in the industry as well as to address the future of affordable housing opportunities in Delaware. HCR 73
• Increased the exemption in bankruptcy proceedings from $5,000 to $25,000 for personal property. Created exemptions in an amount not to exceed $50,000 in equity in the debtor’s principal residence, and for a debtor’s motor vehicle and tools used for purposes of employment. SB 143
• Addressed various abuses and uncertainties relating to the exercise of the State’s power of eminent domain and the protection of private property rights. SB 217
• Increased the number of video lottery machines permitted at horse racing tracks, and the hours during which they may be operated. Also increased to $1 million the funds earmarked for treatment of problem gamblers. HB 332

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Education

• Created process to assist families and students in paying for higher education by allowing direct deposit of State income tax return into a Delaware College Investment Plan account. HB 335 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Ensured the rights of students who are deaf or hard of hearing by allowing them to receive instruction in more than one communication mode or language and requiring Individual Education Plans to take into account the unique communication needs of the student, among other requirements. HB 283 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Allowed school boards to consider student expulsions on a case-by-case basis rather than require mandatory “zero tolerance” policies that may impose unduly harmful and inappropriate consequences. HB 120 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Mandated full-day kindergarten in Delaware by 2008. SB 251
• Established a $20,000,000 line-of credit for the Department of Education to assist the Christina School District achieve a balanced budget. SB 307
• Implemented enhanced financial accountability provisions for public school districts and charter schools, and provided for financial training for school board members. SB 308
• Eliminated multi-tiered diplomas in Delaware, establishing instead, a single diploma for all students. HB 3
• Implemented the Delaware Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED) Program by allocating previously appropriated funds to the scholarship program. HB 263
• Created a class size task force to study those school districts that have been granted waivers for maximum student/teacher ratios and to study programs in Delaware and other states that provide funding for smaller class sizes. HCR 46 w/ SA 1 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Required the Department of Education to develop a regulation requiring each local school district and charter school to assess the physical fitness of each student at least once at the elementary, middle and high school level. HB 372

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Children

• Expanded health insurance coverage for children of families above 200% of the federal poverty level – at no cost to the state – by allowing parents to pay a premium and administrative costs equal to what the state would pay if ths child were covered under CHIP or Medicaid. HB 139 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Required private health insurers in the state to cover the developmental screenings for infant toddlers recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Delaware Early Childhood Council. HB 199 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Created a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) process to examine social, economic, cultural, safety and health system factors associated with fetal and infant death. SB 157
• Extended the Delaware Healthy Children Program to include dental health care for children enrolled in the program. HB 235
• Established a requirement that every hospital in the state perform universal newborn and infant hearing screening activities. This Act also provided that such screening shall be covered by health insurance policies issued in Delaware. HB 205 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Increased the statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases from two to six years beginning when the victim, as an adult, recovers memory of the abuse or learns that the abuse is the cause of emotional or physical difficulties. HB 450

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Energy and Environment

• Required the PSC to investigate whether utilities are receiving consolidated tax benefits and whether those benefits are being passed on to consumers. SB 286
• Ensured that all new development in the Mill Creek, Little Mill Creek, Red Clay Creek, White Clay Creek, Persimmon Creek and Shellpot Creek watersheds of New Castle County is required to manage increased volumes of stormwater runoff as a result of land use changes. SS 1 for SB 357
• Allowed the State to procure electricity in the retail or wholesale market. HB 5
• Allowed electric distribution companies, subject to Public Service Commission approval, to own and operate electricity-generating facilities. Required integrated resource planning to demonstrate how the electric distribution company intends to supply the demand for electricity in its service territory for customers not taking service from an alternative electric supplier. HB 6

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Health and Safety

• Created the “Blue Alert” program to help in the capture of persons suspected of killing or seriously injuring a law enforcement officer. HB 448 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Provided same-sex partners of state officers, employees and pensioners access to the same benefits as the spouses of state officers, employees and pensioners. HS 1 for HB 10 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Required the Department of Education to convene a committee to provide recommendations on the implementation of a Universal Breakfast Program in all of Delaware’s public schools. This program provides free breakfast to students and is subsidized by the federal government. HR 24 [Prime sponsor – Schooley]
• Directed the Director of the Division of Public Health to establish a sterile needle and syringe exchange pilot program in the City of Wilmington to help prevent the spread of AIDS and other diseases. SB 60
• Outlawed salvia divinorum and includes it as a Schedule I controlled substance with other hallucinogenic substances. SB 259
• Required recommending HIV testing for women in the third trimester of pregnancy who are deemed to be at high risk for acquiring HIV. SB 368
• Amended the Delaware Landlord-Tenant Code by permitting tenants who are domestic violence, sexual offense or stalking victims to terminate their leases early for safety reasons. SB 274
• Increased the minimum age for a Level 1 Learner’s Permit from 15 years, 10 months to 16 years of age; makes the program 18 months long, adopting the restrictions of the current one-year program. HB 256
• Established an Animal Population Control Program, which mandates the pre-adoption spaying/neutering of dogs and cats, establishes a spay/neuter fund to support administration of the program, and sets out fines and penalties for failure to comply. HB 425

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