AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND EXTENDED REALITY IN SCHOOLS PILOT PROGRAM.
HB404 creates a three-year pilot program within the Delaware Department of Education to support the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR), including virtual reality and augmented reality, in public schools. The program is intended to help schools procure and safely implement these technologies to improve student engagement and outcomes, assist educators in meeting student needs, and reduce administrative workload. The bill defines key terms, authorizes the Department to administer the program, and allows it to adopt regulations as needed.
Within 180 days of enactment, the Department must select 12 participating schools representing diverse demographics: one elementary, one middle, and one high school from each county and the City of Wilmington. The Department must also form a committee to study best practices in other jurisdictions and recommend AI/XR products that meet the program’s goals while protecting student and educator data. In collaboration with the Department of Technology and Information and the Department of Justice, the Department must finalize contracts for the selected products, with required privacy and security protections and penalties for noncompliance. Participating schools must provide data for evaluation, and the Department must issue a final report recommending whether the program should be expanded or adjusted before the pilot expires.
The bill would add a new chapter to Title 14 of the Delaware Code establishing a temporary statewide education pilot focused on AI and XR procurement and implementation. It gives the Department of Education authority to fund, coordinate, and technically support participating schools, while also requiring interagency involvement from DTI and DOJ on cybersecurity, privacy, and contracting. The bill affects public schools, charter schools, vocational technical schools, and the Department itself by creating new reporting, oversight, and procurement obligations tied to educational technology use.
The bill’s stated purpose and surrounding materials reflect a strongly favorable view of AI and XR in education, emphasizing improved learning outcomes, higher engagement, reduced teacher burnout, and better career readiness. Because no committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the available record. The overall sentiment in the bill text is supportive and promotional, framing the pilot as a measured way to test emerging technologies before any broader expansion.
The main points of potential contention are privacy, data security, and the risk of overreliance on emerging technologies in classrooms. The bill anticipates these concerns by requiring recommended products and contracts to comply with state and federal privacy guidelines, include safeguards against data breaches, and impose penalties for failures to protect information. Another possible issue is implementation cost and appropriations, since the Department’s funding and technical support duties are expressly made subject to appropriation. The bill also leaves significant discretion to the Department in selecting schools, choosing metrics, and determining whether the pilot should be expanded, which could draw scrutiny over oversight and accountability.