This bill creates two new vehicle license plates promoting and supporting both saltwater and freshwater fishing in the State of Delaware. The proceeds associated with The Delaware Sport Fishing License Plate, has a mission of undertaking initiatives that will enhance the pleasure of both saltwater and freshwater recreational fishing throughout the State of Delaware.
Section 1 of the Act addresses statutes under Chapter 49 of Title 10 and (i) amends the title of section 4915 (but makes no substantive changes to the statute); and (ii) modifies section 4916 to provide that plans similar to the Delaware College Investment Plan and the Delaware Achieving a Better Life Experience Plan, but created under the laws of other states, are similarly exempt from the execution or attachment process in Delaware. Section 2 of the Act modifies section 6504 of Title 10 by: (i) providing that advisers and protectors under section 3313(a) of Title 12, and designated representatives under section 3339 of Title 12, are among those persons who may have a declaration of rights or legal relations in respect to the subjects currently enumerated in the statute; and (ii) making minor grammatical clarifications. Section 3 of the Act transfers certain statutes affecting the construction of trusts’ governing instruments from Chapter 2 of Title 12 (which governs wills) to Chapter 33 of Title 12 (which governs trusts) so that these statutes will be more readily accessible as a part of Delaware’s nationwide trust practice, and therefore cross-references the transferred statutes for purposes of the construction of wills. Section 4 of the Act addresses statutes under Chapter 33 of Title 12 and (i) clarifies that the definitions of section 3301 also apply to Chapters 35, 39, and 45 of Title 12, and to any other Delaware laws specifically incorporating section 3301 or the laws of trusts generally; (ii) clarifies that the definition of “fiduciary” as used in other sections of Title 12 also includes advisers or protectors acting in a fiduciary capacity under section 3313(a) of Title 12 and designated representatives acting in a fiduciary capacity under section 3339 of Title 12; (iii) defines in section 3301 the term “nonfiduciary” as used in other sections of Title 12; (iv) clarifies that sections 3302 and 3303 authorize sustainable investment strategies; (v) clarifies that section 3302’s protections of fiduciaries who do not have control over assets, or whose control is subject to the direction of a direction adviser, also apply to fiduciaries whose control is subject to the direction of a co-trustee or to fiduciaries whose co-trustees have exclusive authority over investment decisions; (vi) clarifies section 3313 such that only loans not in the nature of distribution decisions are considered to be investment decisions for purposes of directed trusts; (vii) modifies section 3313 by adding a new subsection (g), which provides that persons accepting appointment, or serving, as trust advisers submit to personal jurisdiction of this State, thereby paralleling the Uniform Trust Code; (viii) clarifies that under section 3313A, an excluded co-trustee is a fiduciary only with respect to powers from which such co-trustee is not excluded, and thus is not a fiduciary as to powers from which such co-trustee is excluded; (ix) clarifies that section 3317’s requirement for co-fiduciaries to keep each other informed also extends to nonfiduciaries with powers relating to a trust; (x) clarifies that section 3317’s protections for fiduciaries and nonfiduciaries providing information to co-fiduciaries or co-nonfiduciaries also extend to fiduciaries and nonfiduciaries receiving information from cofiduciaries or co-nonfiduciaries; (xi) clarifies that section 3323’s “majority rules” provisions relating to decisions among three or more co-fiduciaries also extend to decisions among three or more co-nonfiduciaries, and apply to powers vested in three or more such persons by a governing instrument or by law; (xii) transfers certain statutes affecting the construction of trusts’ governing instruments from Chapter 2 of Title 12 (which governs wills) to Chapter 33 of Title 12 (which governs trusts), and specifically to section 3330 (whose title is accordingly clarified), so that these statutes will be more readily accessible as a part of Delaware’s nationwide trust practice; (xiii) clarifies that section 3330 applies to trusts’ governing instruments generally (and not just wills or trust instruments); (xiv) clarifies that nonjudicial settlement agreements under section 3338 may resolve or address the removal of a trustee; (xv) clarifies section 3341 to provide that where substantially identical powers of appointment exist between two merged trusts, such powers applicable to the surviving trust before the merger shall extend to all of the assets within the surviving trust after the merger, unless the instrument of merger specifies otherwise, and also to clarify that section 3341 does not address the validity or effect of written instruments executed before trust mergers that purport to exercise powers of appointment over trusts; and (xvi) clarifies that modification of a trust under section 3342 permits both the addition of new provisions that were not included in the governing instrument previously as well as the modification of existing provisions that were included in the governing instrument previously. Section 5 of the Act addresses statutes under Chapter 35 of Title 12 and (i) reorders section 3524 to clarify when accountings for testamentary trusts are required to be filed with the Court of Chancery; (ii) modifies section 3528, such that exercises of powers to invade principal or income or both of a trust under that section need only be signed, and no longer need be acknowledged or filed with the records of the trust; (iii) modifies section 3536 so that a trustor may release a beneficial interest that is contingent on surviving the trustor’s spouse, so as to accelerate the next succeeding beneficial interests, thereby overturning Delaware common law to the contrary; (iv) clarifies the execution requirements for a trust’s governing instrument under section 3545; (v) clarifies section 3547 to define contingent successor remainder beneficiaries, define when such beneficiaries are more remote than others, and define when such beneficiaries may virtually represent more remote such beneficiaries; (vi) consistent with the Uniform Trust Code, modifies section 3547 to permit holders of general powers of appointment and the broadest form of nongeneral powers of appointment to virtually represent takers in default absent a conflict of interest; (vii) modifies section 3547 to allow a parent to virtually represent an unborn beneficiary (consistent with the Uniform Trust Code), and to provide that a virtual representative who represents a minor or incapacitated or unborn beneficiary and who, under the statute’s existing language, may therefore also represent an unborn or unascertainable person who has an interest in the trust substantially identical to that of the minor or incapacitated or unborn beneficiary represented by such virtual representative, may now also represent a minor or incapacitated or unborn person who has an interest in the trust substantially identical to that of the minor or incapacitated or unborn beneficiary represented by such virtual representative; (viii) clarifies section 3547 to provide that for purposes of virtually representing a trust that is a beneficiary of another trust, a trustee of an existing beneficiary-trust, or those who would be the beneficiaries under the terms of a beneficiary-trust not yet in existence, may virtually represent such beneficiary-trust; (ix) clarifies the definition of “trustee” in section 3580 for purposes of Subchapter VII of Chapter 35; (x) clarifies that sections 3585 and 3588 govern statutes of limitations applicable to any person interested in a trust (and not just beneficiaries) and to any claim against a trustee (and not just breach of trust claims); (xi) modifies the statute of limitations applicable to claims against a trustee from two years after a report is sent to a person to one year after such report is sent, to align such period with the Uniform Trust Code (unless the trust’s governing instrument specifies a period longer than one year, in which case the governing instrument shall control); and (xii) clarifies that section 3588 does not require consideration for indemnifications of trustees. Section 6 of the Act clarifies, within Section 505 of Title 25, that exercises of nongeneral powers of appointment to a donee’s revocable trust, for the benefit of proper objects of the power, are not rendered invalid by such appointment, and thus are deemed to create a separate trust within such revocable trust that is not subject to the creditors of the donee, the donee’s estate, or the donee’s revocable trust. Section 7 of the Act repeals sections 2725 and 2728 of Title 18 because they have been superseded by recent amendments to section 4915 of Title 10. Section 8 of the Act provides effective dates.
This bill adds to the requirements for licensure as a River Pilot Apprentice that an applicant not have been convicted of a crime substantially related to the practice of river piloting. This bill empowers the Board of Pilot Commissioners to waive such a disqualifier to licensure if it finds that the applicant is otherwise capable of practicing in a safe and competent manner, and the granting of a waiver will not endanger the public health, safety, or welfare. This language tracks that which is already included in most Title 24 boards’ statutes. This bill also empowers the Board of River Pilot Commissioners to discipline any licensee who is convicted of a crime substantially related to the practice of river piloting after obtaining licensure, and to discipline any licensee who has a river pilot license disciplined by another jurisdiction. This language also tracks that which is already included in most Title 24 boards’ statutes.
Birth control use is nearly universal among women of reproductive age in the United States and is a key part of preventative health care for women. Access to birth control provides health benefits for women and children, improves women's ability to control whether and when they have a child, and fosters women's ability to participate in education and the workforce. However, the cost of birth control, particularly the higher up-front costs of the more effective, longer-acting birth control methods, is often a barrier to women accessing the birth control they need. This Act codifies the current federal requirement that health insurance plans include coverage for contraceptives and applies this requirement to individual, group, State employee, and public assistance plans. This Act retains the current ability for religious employers to exclude coverage for the insertion and removal and medically necessary examination associated with the use of FDA-approved drugs or devices.
Section 5301(3) of Title 7 provides that it is the Department of State’s (“Department”) duty “to protect and encourage the preservation of archaeological resources located on privately owned lands in this State.” This Act enables the Department to better fulfill this duty by requiring a person required to submit a project for pre-application review under § 9204 of Title 29 to submit the following as part of the review process: (1) Any existing archeological report or survey concerning the property that is in the applicant’s possession. (2) Any proposal to conduct an archeological report or survey of the property prepared for or at the request of the applicant. This Act replaces Senate Bill No. 248.
This Act allows an agency, as defined in § 6902 of Title 29, (“agency”) to accept electronic bid submissions and on-line bidding for contracts procuring material and nonprofessional services. This Act also expands the use of electronic bid submission and on-line bidding to be used for large public works contracts and large professional service contracts by the Office of Management and Budget or an agency. This Act also makes the Section of Government Support Services in the Office of Management and Budget responsible for administering the State’s centralized contract development, solicitation, evaluation, and contract administration system on behalf of all agencies. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This legislation requires that all full-time employees of the State, including employees of school districts, continuously in the employ of the state for at least one year, shall be eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave upon the birth or adoption of a child 6 years of age or younger. Both parents would be eligible for such leave. Employees shall continue to have the right, as they do under current law, to use accrued sick leave for maternity and paternity purposes. This legislation leaves intact the rights of persons adopting a child over 6 years of age to take unpaid leave. Due to lack of adequate paid family leave policies, many parents must return to work sooner than is optimal for the health of mothers (in the case of biological birth) and children. Granting paid leave will contribute to the establishment of parent-child bonds, breastfeeding establishment, and allow infants to receive vaccines and develop stronger immune systems prior to entering daycare. Further, a more generous leave policy will increase the productivity of workers and reduce employee turnover. This Act takes effect January 1, 2019. The Office of Management and Budget is directed to establish guidelines for the implementation of this Act.
This Act requires that health insurance offered in this State provide coverage for fertility care services, including in vitro fertilization ("IVF") procedures, for individuals who suffer from a disease or condition that results in the inability to procreate or to carry a pregnancy to a live birth. This Act also requires that health insurance offered in this State provide coverage for fertility preservation for individuals diagnosed with cancer and other diseases, when medically necessary treatment could adversely affect their fertility. Like all other diseases, infertility should be covered by insurance. According to the National Infertility Association, RESOLVE, infertility affects 1 in 8 couples and 3 in 4 never obtain needed treatment, often because they cannot afford it. Everyone deserves the right to procreate and to try to build a family. Right now, many Delaware families diagnosed with infertility fall into a “coverage gap” and pay out-of-pocket for fertility care services. Only certain employers provide any fertility care coverage in Delaware and what they do provide is often very limited. Families generally must pay high co-pays or adhere to service restrictions and lifetime dollar caps that strictly limit their treatment options, and thus make it unaffordable for many of them to proceed without risking their financial security or without achieving a successful pregnancy. For example, 1 IVF cycle can cost between $15,000 and $25,000 and, on average, it takes 2 to 3 cycles to achieve pregnancy. Additionally, highly inflated managed care pharmacy prices for IVF medications, where families with coverage can pay as much as 100% more for medications compared to prices charged to self-pay families, often contribute to 25-50% or more of total IVF costs, which can quickly drain lifetime caps and severely limit overall IVF care options. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 15 states currently have laws regarding insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis or treatment, including 2 states that border Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. This puts the State at a significant competitive disadvantage, as many reproductive age residents intentionally change employers and leave Delaware to gain more attractive fertility care benefits. It is also well-documented that individuals who self-pay for an IVF procedure, or have limited benefits, often demand that 2 or more embryos be transferred to their uterus. This greatly increases the risk of multiple births and is a dangerous and costly approach for heavily burdened health care resources, and can be completely avoided with greater access to covered fertility care services. Studies show that states with insurance coverage have a lower rate of multiple births because fewer embryos are transferred. This Act requires insurers to cover fertility care services based on the current standard of care for IVF treatments to achieve pregnancy success rates for singleton births at the lowest possible costs. This will greatly reduce the risk of multiple births and greatly reduce hospital and health care costs, thus saving employers money. Several recent studies have found that the cost of perinatal and neonatal care for twins is about $100,000, whereas singleton pregnancies cost about $13,000. Triplet pregnancies can cost $400,000 or more. For every 100 pregnancies from IVF that are singletons but could have been twins, about $8.7 million dollars is saved, on top of reduced pain and suffering for parents and premature babies. This Act would significantly reduce this high financial and societal burden by promoting IVF technologies that use single-embryo transfers. This Act could increase the number of persons treated for infertility, but also increase the number of babies born in Delaware by 2-300 per year, thus increasing the state’s birth rate by 1-2% and providing a boost to the local economy, while also decreasing health care costs.
This Substitute Act implements certain recommendations adopted by the Lottery & Gaming Study Commission in 2015 and the Video Lottery Advisory Council in 2017, in recognition of significant changes in the regional gaming marketplace and the State’s desire to remain competitive in the face of a proliferation of gaming venues in neighboring states. This Substitute Act adjusts the revenue sharing model in a way that ensures that the State continues to benefit from video lottery proceeds, ensures continued employment and horse racing at the State’s three video lottery facilities, and ensures that the video lottery agents will be able to reinvest capital in their facilities, market their facilities, and maintain their high standards of customer service. Effective July 1, 2018, this Substitute Act does all of the following: 1. Reduces the State’s share of gross table game revenues from 29.4% to 15.5%. 2. Suspends the table game license fee due June 1, 2019, and continues to suspend the fee in subsequent fiscal years if each agent increases expenditures on marketing, wages, and benefits by its pro rata share of the license fee. 3. Increases purses for horsemen by 0.6%, phased-in over two years. 4. Reduces the State’s share of gross slot machine revenues from 43.5% to 41.5% or 42.5% to 40.5%, as applicable, with additional reductions of 2% possible for each video lottery agent starting with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019, based on qualified capital expenditures reaching 3% of video lottery net proceeds. The Substitute Act also removes the prohibition against video lottery agents operating on Christmas or Easter. The Substitute Act differs from the Act with respect to the increases in purses for horsemen, a revised basis upon which to calculate the State’s share of gross slot machine and table games revenues, and requirements for video lottery agents to increase capital expenditures, marketing, wages, and benefits to continue the suspension of table game license fees and receive additional reductions in the State’s share of video lottery net proceeds. Sections 2, 5, and 6 of this Substitute Act are drafted to amend the law in effect at the time the changes are to take effect.
The Act made changes to motor vehicle franchising practices, by doing the following: (1) Prohibiting a new motor vehicle manufacturer from recovering its costs for compensating its dealers for recalls or warranty parts and service by reducing the amount due to the dealer or imposing a charge. (2) Establishing the process for and method of compensating a dealer for a recall related to a used motor vehicle. (3) Providing a process by which a dealer may protest a franchise termination with the Public Service Commission. (4) Protecting consumer data. (5) Making technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Substitute Act incorporates these changes and makes an additional change to § 4903(b) of Title 6.
This Act provides a post-2011 employee who relied on misinformation that the employee would have a vested right to a reduced pension if the employee can prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the employee: (a) Was employed by a non-State employer. (b) While employed by a non-State employer, the employee vested in a pension plan that would pay the employee a greater amount than the employee projected to be payable to the employee as a post 2011-employee, based on the employment under which the employee first became a post-2011 employee. (c) But for the employee’s reasonable understanding that the employee would vest in a pension as a pre-2011 employee, the employee would not have resigned from employment with the non-State employer. Under this Act, the Board of Pension Trustee’s Executive Secretary makes the determination whether a post-2011 employee qualifies for a pension as a pre-2011 employee, and Executive Secretary’s determination is appealable to the Board. If the Executive Secretary determines that a post-2011 employee has met the standard for vested in a pension as a pre-2011 employee, when the employee has 5 years of qualifying credited service and is 62 years or older, the employee is eligible to receive a pension that is reduced by 4/10 percent of each month the employee has less than 15 years. This Act takes effect January 1, 2019.
This Act strengthens the shelter requirements for dogs that are kept outside by requiring the following: 1. Adds failure to provide enhanced shelter to the crime of cruelty to animals. 2. Adds a third or subsequent violation of the shelter requirements, to the crime of cruelty to animals. 3. That dogs be provided with enhanced shelter if the dog is outdoors for more than 30 minutes between the hours of 11:00 pm and 6:00 am or when the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 4. That cages, crates, and carriers intended for travel or short-term, temporary confinement may not be used as outdoor housing facilities. 5. That outdoor housing facilities and enhanced shelters must provide clean and moisture-resistant bedding material and protection from wind. 6. That an enhanced shelter must include the following: minimum space requirements; heat when the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit; fresh, circulating air when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit; and food and water that do not freeze. This Act also imposes a higher civil penalty for subsequent violations of § 3044F, the specifications for the humane handling, care, and treatment of dogs. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
