Individuals who receive health care via Medicaid deserve the same dedication to treatment of substance abuse disorders as individuals who receive health care via private insurance. This Act extends the same access to treatment of a substance use disorder within the Medicaid framework that Senate Bill 41 of the 149th General Assembly afforded to individuals covered by private health insurance, except that a 72 hour supply instead of 5 day supply of emergency medication is required. This Act also clarifies that Medicaid health plans must use the full set of American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria when determining whether “medical necessity” exists for the placement, continued stay, and transfer/discharge of patients with a substance use disorder in treatment programs. Additionally, this Act aligns protections relating to services, specifically 5 days of treatment in detox centers and 30 days of treatment in Intensive Outpatient Programs, with the residential treatment option that is protected pursuant to Senate Bill 41 of the 149th General Assembly.
This Act will allow a retired Delaware attorney to satisfy a mortgage that the attorney paid off while in practice. Currently only attorneys still in active practice are permitted to satisfy mortgages under Section 2120. This limitation can leave no practicable way to satisfy a mortgage for which the lender fails to record a satisfaction as required by State law if the attorney who paid off the mortgage subsequently retires. This Act will also expand the scope of Section 2120 to include partial releases of a mortgage where a Delaware attorney made a partial payment to release a portion of the mortgaged property.
This bill gives local school boards or charter school boards more discretion on a case by case basis to suspend students for the possession of a deadly weapon other than a firearm in a Safe School or Recreation Zone. This bill is the result of a case in the Brandywine School District.
This Act clarifies the authority of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee ("Committee") to hold over entities unless or until certain conditions are met or modifications are made. This Act also provides the authority for the Committee to recall an entity that has been released from review when the entity has the ability to meet the recommended condition or make the modification but has failed to do so, or when the Committee recommended legislation to amend an entity's governing statute or a related statute, but the legislation fails to be enacted for any reason. If the Committee recalls an entity, it may recommend any of the options available in subsection (a) of this section.
This bill allows Delaware Department of Transportation authorized vehicles to be able to use the shoulder of the road when responding to emergencies. Department of Transportation staff must respond to emergencies along the road to assist police, fire and paramedics with establishing maintenance of traffic. By allowing the use of the shoulder of the road staff will be able to respond in a timely manner.
This bill will remove the requirement for signatures to be in pen and ink when provided for driver license, identification card, or registration application processes. Removing this provision enables the Division of Motor Vehicles to develop more efficient means of serving customers including expanding online services.
This Act enacts the Recognition of Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact Act ("REPLICA"). With REPLICA, EMS personnel will be able to respond across state borders within the provision of their duties on a short term, intermittent basis on a privilege to practice under approved circumstances. REPLICA promotes compliance with the laws governing EMS personnel practice in each member state, home and remote, and gives states the ability to hold providers accountable from both. EMS personnel covered by REPLICA include those responding to calls for assistance across state lines as part of their duty, covering large scale planned events such as staffing concerts, sporting events, or large scale unplanned events where federal agencies are dispatched to support details, for example, wildland firefighting teams. REPLICA comes into effect on the date on which the compact statute is enacted into law in the 10th member state. Seven states have enacted REPLICA, including Virginia. Benefits of REPLICA include: REPLICA extends the privilege to practice under authorized circumstances and on a limited basis to EMS Providers; REPLICA enables the ready exchange of information between states through a Coordinated Database regarding EMS personnel licensure, adverse actions, and significant investigatory information; REPLICA promotes the highest level of public protection to patients and to EMS personnel in our state’s EMS System. State EMS Offices will now know who is coming into their state; and REPLICA provides a unique opportunity to support members of the military and their spouses with a clear and timely pathway by which to become licensed.
The purpose of this bill is to make full time paid firefighters in volunteer fire companies in this State eligible to join the Delaware County and Municipal/Police/Firefighter Pension Plan.
On June 30, 2016, the Delaware State Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 19 (“S.R. 19”), requesting the Delaware Department of Insurance (the “Department”) to examine the secondary market for life insurance policies and make recommendations for possible legislation. In response to S.R. 19, the Department issued a report in December 2016 recommending the adoption of the Model Viatical Settlements Act adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”). This bill significantly modifies 18 Del. C. Chapter 75, the Delaware Viatical Settlements Act by adopting the NAIC Model. This bill establishes strong consumer protections while protecting policyholder rights. Key provisions include: • The bill significantly expands the class of persons, known as “viators,” who are permitted to enter into viatical settlement contracts. Under present law, viators are defined as individuals with a catastrophic, life threatening or chronic illness or condition. This physical condition restriction is eliminated in this bill (Section 7502(20)). • A limited 5 year settlement prohibition targeting transactions with characteristics of stranger-originated life insurance, such as non-recourse financing, settlement guarantees, or life expectancy valuations. (Section 7511). • Protection of consumer property rights by permitting any-time settlements for cause such as death of spouse, divorce, disability, bankruptcy, loss of job, or chronic or terminal illness (Section 7511), and by requiring full disclosure to the prospective viator (Section 7508). • Expanded consumer right to rescind a settlement contract for up to 60 days (Section 7510(c)). • Settlement reporting requirements to enable regulators to identify and stop stranger-originated life insurance (Section 7506). • Prohibition on advertising representing that insurance is “free” or at “no cost” (Sections 7512(d) and 7513(e)). • Disclosure to insurers of any plan to originate, renew, or finance a policy prior to or within 5 years of policy issue (Section 7509). • A comprehensive definition of “viatical settlement contract” which includes policy transfers regardless of when they occur if they include indicia of stranger-originated life insurance, and transfers which do not fall within a legitimate settlement exception, such as non-recourse financing arrangements, debt forgiveness, or settlement guarantees (Section 7502(15)). • The bill contains fraud prevention and control measures, grants regulatory authority to the Insurance Commissioner to address violations of the Act through the issuance of cease and desist orders, imposition of civil penalties, petitions for injunctive relief, and other enforcement measures. The bill also allows persons injured by violations of the Act to bring civil actions, and allows the Attorney General to seek criminal penalties for “fraudulent viatical acts,” as defined in the Act. The criminal penalties in the current version of the bill are based on the penalties for theft in 11 Del. C. § 841. The bill expressly states that it does not preempt the authority or relieve the duty of the Attorney General or any other law enforcement or regulatory agencies to investigate, examine, and prosecute suspected violations of law. • Section 7518 of the bill provides that nothing in this chapter preempts any provision of the Delaware Securities Act, as amended, including the regulation of securities transactions in viatical settlement investments and the licensing of any person or entity engaged in the sale of securities. Enactment of the NAIC Model will provide regulators with strong and important tools to combat stranger-originated life insurance and the fraudulent behavior it engenders, while continuing to allow honest policyholders to exercise all of their individual and contractual rights.
This legislation modernizes Delaware's Self-Service Storage Facility Act to account for the wide proliferation of online news and auction sites, as well as to establish frameworks for: (1) towing of certain property for which rent and other charges are in default; (2) use of information contained within property sold or otherwise disposed of; and (3) contractual provisions relating to limits on the value of stored property and to late fees, as well as transparency related to both.
Persons under age 18 must wear a helmet when operating or riding as a passenger on a bicycle, motorized skateboard or scooter, all terrain vehicle (ATV), off-highway vehicle (OHV), or electric personal assistive mobility device (EPAMD). See Title 21 Del. C. §§ 4198K, 4198N, 6823, and 4098O respectively. This bill would achieve consistency by requiring moped and triped operators and passengers to wear a helmet if under age 18. This legislation is an initiative of the State Council for Persons with Disabilities Brain Injury Committee to reduce the incidence of brain injuries among minors.
This Act fulfills recommendations made by the Joint Legislative Overview and Sunset Committee (“JLOSC”) by making amendments to the State Human Relations Commission’s (“the Commission”) governing statute. First, this Act changes the number of members on the Commission to a more manageable number, 18 members, and adjusts appointment language accordingly, including providing for staggered appointments so that members’ terms do not expire all at the same time. To provide the Commission with sufficient time to reorganize itself with the new number of members, Section 1 of this Act takes effect 1 year after the date of enactment. Next, this Act adds several provisions that are administrative in nature: defining the Commission’s quorum and requiring quorum to meet and conduct business; language standard to boards and commissions regarding the removal of members for gross inefficiency, neglect of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance; and technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. Finally, this Act fulfills the JLOSC recommendation that the Commission’s governing statute include reference to its duties under other chapters of the Delaware Code. Current Delaware law provides that the Commission has duties under Chapters 45 and 46 of Title 6, the Equal Accommodation Act and Fair Housing Act, respectively. Senate Bill No. 49 (“SB 49”) of the 149th General Assembly, however, if enacted, will create a new Chapter 78 in Title 6, under which the Commission will have duties related to Homeless Individuals’ Bill of Rights. In order to accommodate the possibility of a new chapter in Title 6 which should be referenced in the Commission’s governing statute, §§ 3004 and 3005 have been drafted as two versions. The first version of each, Sections 4 and 6, include references to the new Chapter 78, while the second version of each, Sections 5 and 7, do not. Therefore, Section 10 of this Act provides that Sections 4 and 6 take effect if SB 49 is enacted during this General Assembly, and Sections 5 and 7 take effect if SB 49 is not enacted during this General Assembly.
