Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 11, 2024

SB 328: AN ACT TO DIRECT DIAA TO SEPARATE ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP SANCTIONED EVENTS.

This bill directs the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association to organize separate team championship events for public and private schools. The legislation aims to address concerns that private schools currently hold an advantage in recruiting athletes across different districts, which the bill argues creates an uneven playing field. By splitting the competitions, the law ensures that state titles are awarded within distinct groups rather than mixing all school types together. This change would alter how championships are structured but does not change the rules for individual student athletes or the eligibility of schools to participate.

passed both · Delaware · Senate Jun 11, 2024

SCR 121: DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2024, AS "EATING DISORDERS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH" IN DELAWARE.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution designates the month of June 2024, as "Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention Month" in Delaware and encourages the Department of Health and Social Services to research methods to raise awareness of, prevent, and treat eating disorders.

passed both · Delaware · House Jun 11, 2024

HCR 145: THIS CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDS THE 2024 DELAWARE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR, SHANNON GRONAU, AND ALL OF THE DISTRICT/CHARTER NETWORK BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS OF THE YEAR.

This Concurrent Resolution commends the 2024 Delaware Behavioral Health Professional of the Year, Shannon Gronau, and all of the District/Charter Network Behavioral Health Professionals of the Year.

introduced · Delaware · House Jun 11, 2024

HB 203: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DELAWARE ACT.

With 60% of U.S. households living paycheck to paycheck, 40% of Americans having less than $300 in savings, 33% of Americans having saved nothing for retirement, 95% of Americans having not saved enough for retirement, and 87% of American teens admitting not understanding their finances, financial literacy education in Delaware high schools is needed. This Act, which may be cited as “The Equity and Inclusion in Financial Literacy for All High School Students in Delaware Act”, requires high schools to provide, at a minimum, a half credit course on financial literacy. And, beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2025 through 2026 school year, successful completion of the course will be required to obtain a high school diploma. This Act requires the course to include instruction which meets the financial literacy standards for high school students adopted by the Department of Education and on all of the following financial literacy topics: (1) Introduction to behavioral economics, including enabling students to understand the impact of life experiences on personal money management decisions and habits. (2) Enabling students to understand the benefits of disciplined and regular savings to achieve financial goals and the power of compounding returns and interest. (3) Introduction to the why and how of different types of risk assessment and investing strategies that lead to sustainable and long-term financial success and a self-sufficient retirement, including introduction and explanation of the Delaware EARNS Program established under Chapter 38 of Title 19. (4) Enabling students to understand personal budgeting. (5) Enabling students to understand and manage credit and debt, including credit scores; types of credit to include credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, student loans, payday loans, and title loans; the benefits and methods of debt avoidance and repayment; and the rule of 72. (6) Enabling students to understand financial institutions, including banking services, brokerage services, account fees, and the difference between fiduciary and non-fiduciary advisors. (7) Enabling students to understand personal and payroll-related taxes and their impact on disposable income. (8) Enabling students to understand career options, including college vs. trade or technical school and entrepreneurship vs. employment. (9) Enabling students to understand philanthropy. (10) Insurance options.

introduced · Delaware · Senate Jun 11, 2024

SB 180: AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE V OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO VOTING.

This Act is a substitute for Senate Bill No. 180. Like Senate Bill No. 180, this Act is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution that does all of the following: (1) Under Section 1 of this Act, limits the loss of the right to vote of an individual who is convicted of a felony to the period during which the individual is imprisoned due to the felony, or until the individual is pardoned, whichever comes first. (2) Brings Section 1 of this Act into conformity with the United States Constitution and federal law. Like in Section 1 of Senate Bill No. 180, Section 1 of this Act specifically does all of the following: (1) Removes the ability of the General Assembly to impose the forfeiture of the right of suffrage as a punishment for a crime. (2) Removes the list of felonies resulting in permanent removal of the right to vote. (3) Prohibits making the re-enfranchisement of an individual who is convicted of a felony contingent on the payment of a monetary payment of any kind. (4) Makes a conforming change based on proposed changes in Section 2 of this Act. (5) Updates the age at which a resident of this State is granted a right to vote to be 18 years or older, to conform the Delaware Constitution to the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution. (6) Removes the durational residency requirements necessary to qualify to vote in this State. Durational residency requirements have been found unconstitutional because these requirements infringe on both the constitutional right to vote and the constitutional right to travel. See Dunn v. Blumstein, 92 S. Ct. 995 (1972) (finding 1-year residency requirement in a state and 3-month residency requirement in a county unconstitutional) and Marston v. Lewis, 93 S. Ct. 1211 (1973). A voter will still be required to be a resident at the time the voter registers. (7) Removes the literacy test requirement to qualify to vote in this State. Literacy tests have been used to disqualify Blacks and individuals who are immigrants or poor. Because of the discriminatory use of, and often subjective nature of, literacy tests, literacy tests are prohibited under federal law, see 52 U.S.C. § 10501, and likely unconstitutional under the 14th or 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, see Oregon v. Mitchell, 91 S. Ct. 260 (1970). (8) Makes a technical correction to remove an unnecessary comma. Like in Section 2 of Senate Bill No. 180, Section 2 of this Act removes the suspension of the right to vote as a punishment for violation of certain election offenses. This Act differs from Senate Bill No. 180 by removing “work release” from the list of criminal sentences not included in the definition of “imprisonment” for purposes of Section 1 of this Act. Amending the Delaware Constitution requires not only the passing of the changes in this Act, but also passage of the same changes after the next general election by the next General Assembly. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend the Delaware Constitution.

passed both · Delaware · Senate Jun 11, 2024

SCR 176: CONGRATULATING THE CLASS OF 2023 EAGLE SCOUTS FOR HAVING ATTAINED THE HIGHEST RANK ONE CAN EARN IN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution congratulates the class 2023 Eagle Scouts for having attained the highest rank one can earn in the Boy Scouts of America.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 6, 2024

HB 424: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO APPEALS OF SUPERIOR COURT DENIALS OF REVERSE AMENABILITY ORDERS.

Currently, if a child files an application in Superior Court to have their criminal case transferred to Family Court and the Superior Court denies the application, there is no recourse for appeal until the child’s criminal case is finally adjudicated in Superior Court. In State v. Roberts, Del.Supr. 282 A.2nd 603 (1971) the Delaware Supreme Court stated its jurisdiction, over such appeals by an accused, may only be by operation of law. This Act permits the child to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere and appeal an amenability denial to the Delaware Supreme Court within 30 days of being sentenced by the Superior Court. This Act also prohibits any plea being conditioned on waiving this right of appeal. This Act also clarifies that the Superior Court will not retain jurisdiction over the child if the Supreme Court reverses the Superior Court’s Order.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 6, 2024

SB 315: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GENDER TRANSITION PROCEDURES.

This Act prohibits gender transition surgery for children due to the potential for an irrevocable procedure occurring when there is a significant probability that children will come to identify with their biological gender. This Act prohibits the use of public funds and insurance coverage for gender transition surgery for children. This Act provides for enforcement of the Act as follows: (1) By providing for compensatory damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or any other appropriate relief. (2) By making a referral for or provision of gender transition procedures to a child unprofessional conduct for which a physician or healthcare professional making the referral for or provision of gender transition procedures to a child is subject to discipline by the appropriate licensing entity or disciplinary review board with jurisdiction over the physician or healthcare professional in this State.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 6, 2024

SB 317: ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE OFFER OF AN ULTRASOUND AND AUSCULTATION SERVICES BEFORE TERMINATING A PREGNANCY.

This Act requires a health-care practitioner to offer a patient ultrasound imaging and auscultation of fetal heart tone services before terminating a pregnancy. The patient is free to choose not to view the ultrasound or listen to the auscultation of fetal heart tone. This Act is known as "The Woman's Right to Know Act."

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 6, 2024

HB 441: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18, TITLE 24, TITLE 29, AND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, AND NEUROMUSCULAR MASSAGE THERAPY.

This Act encourages patients to choose physical therapy, occupational therapy, and neuromuscular massage therapy as a safe alternative to opioid use for managing acute and chronic pain by doing the following: 1. Eliminating cost-sharing for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and neuromuscular massage therapy services. 2. Expanding the prohibition on annual or lifetime numerical limits on physical therapy, occupational therapy, and neuromuscular massage therapy services to the treatment of any chronic or acute musculoskeletal pain or post-surgical therapy. This Act applies to individual health insurance policies under Chapter 33 of Title 18, group and blanket health insurance policies under Chapter 35 of Title 18, the State employee health plan under Chapter 52 of Title 29, and Medicaid under Chapter 5 of Title 31. This Act applies to all policies, contracts, or certificates issued, renewed, modified, altered, amended, or reissued after December 31, 2025. This Act expires December 31, 2030. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 6, 2024

HB 412: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER PRIVACY.

Like Chapter 19 of Title 10, covering judicial officers, and a similar provision pending for correctional officers, this Act allows law enforcement officers to submit a written request that their personal information not be publicly released. The written request may be submitted directly by a law enforcement officer to a person or government agency or the law enforcement agency employing the officer may submit a written request on behalf of the officer. This Act also directs the law enforcement agency employing covered law enforcement officers to develop a policy and procedure for law enforcement officers to apply for the employer to submit a written request on behalf of the law enforcement officer. The employer would also be required to enroll a law enforcement officer who opts into the employer’s process to enroll the law enforcement officer in the services for an online privacy vendor. This Act applies to law enforcement officers who serve on or after its enactment date and takes effect 180 days after its enactment into law.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 6, 2024

HB 429: AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VIII, § 6 OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO LIMITING THE ANNUAL GROWTH OF EXPENDITURES IN THE STATE OPERATING BUDGET.

This legislation, the State Spending Accountability Amendment, is the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would reform the state budgeting process. This amendment would continue the Budget Stabilization Fund, established in 2018 under Executive Order 21, issued by Governor John Carney. It also seeks to continue the state Benchmark Index and state Benchmark Appropriation, established by the same executive order, which will expire at the end of the Carney administration in January 2025. This amendment would further hold the General Assembly accountable for responsibly managing state spending growth by instituting new protocols. It would create the 8-member Budget Accountability Review Commission (BARC) and establish a set of procedures to ensure the state operating budget complied with the state Benchmark Index and state Benchmark Appropriation. These benchmarks could be exceeded when extraordinary circumstances presented themselves.

Bill results