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.
This Act acknowledges that the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has been collecting natural resource data for years without the consent of the respective property owners. From the date of this Act forward, the Department must obtain written consent prior to physically entering onto private property for the purpose of collecting Natural Resource Data.
Currently, the ability of the Department to take licensure action (i.e., suspension, revocation, limitation) is, in certain cases, contingent upon the public school employer first taking employment action (i.e., dismissal, termination). The Department believes that its ability, as the agency issuing professional teaching credentials to educators, to undertake licensure action should be separate from any action by the public school employer. Further, the Department seeks to expand the circumstances in which the Secretary may automatically suspend teaching credentials, specifically to include situations involving felony crimes against a children or where there is a clear and immediate danger to student safety or welfare. This bill removes the requirement of employment action before disciplinable offenses may be handled by the Department, making this licensure disciplinary structure consistent with how other licensed professions are handled in this State. The bill also creates the power to impose temporary emergency suspensions in those rare instances where a teacher poses a threat to student health, safety, or welfare. Finally, this bill creates the confidential letter of concern that is non-disciplinary and may be used in those instances where a teacher’s behavior is not in violation of the code, but indicative of a practice that is a matter of concern. These two provisions also make teacher licensure discipline more similar to other licensed professions in the State.
This Act creates the Delaware Advance Scholarship Program (“Program”). The goal of this Act is to encourage Delaware students with intellectual disabilities to pursue studies for a comprehensive certificate or degree at a Delaware institution of higher education in order to promote economic self-sufficiency. This will result in an economic benefit to the State in the form of a more diverse, well-prepared workforce that is less reliant on government support. This Act follows the Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008, which authorizes comprehensive transition and post-secondary programs as a pathway to higher education for students with intellectual disabilities. The Program will be effective beginning in the 2018 through 2019 academic year.
Section 1 clarifies the Town’s nuisance and dangerous building abatement powers and requires property owners to pay for the abatement costs. This section further clarifies the Town’s ability to grant franchises, licenses, and permits, and impose fees for the same. It authorizes the Town to impose a realty transfer tax, and it increases the maximum penalty for a code violation to $500.00. Section 2 authorizes the Town to annex property and creates procedures for the annexation of property. Section 3 reduces the number of members on the Town Council from seven to five and eliminates the elected positions of secretary, treasurer, and tax collector. This section prohibits individuals convicted of a felony from running for Mayor or Council. This section establishes procedures for holding municipal elections, including the conduct of elections, election notices, voting procedures, and the establishment of the elections board. This section requires voters to be United States citizens. Section 4 establishes the term of office for Mayor and Council as two years, and outlines how the Town Council will transition from seven to five council members. Section 5 clarifies the Council’s ability to fill a vacancy on Council regardless of how that vacancy occurred, and it makes other changes to create consistency with the re-organization of the structure of the Town Council. Section 6 creates an organizational meeting at which a council secretary and treasurer are appointed each year. Section 7 clarifies who can be appointed as the Tax Collector and authorizes the Council to employ other individuals as needed by the Town. This section clarifies when regular meetings are held and allows electronic communication to be used to notify the Mayor and Council of special meetings. Section 8 authorizes the Town to have the same tax collection powers as Kent County and authorizes the Town to recover expenses incurred to collect taxes through legal proceedings. This section authorizes a court or administrative body to award the Town its costs of prosecution when the Town is the prevailing party in a legal proceeding to enforce an ordinance or collect an amount owed to the Town.
This Resolution provides the official revenue, refund, and unencumbered funds estimates for Fiscal Year 2019.
This Act creates a training minimum wage and a youth wage that is not more than $0.50 less than the minimum wage rate that becomes effective January 1, 2019. The increase in the minimum wage to $8.75 is also effective January 1, 2019.
This Bill amends the Charter of the Town of Smyrna in the following ways: Section 1 removes the Board of Assessment from the list of Boards the Town can appoint. Section 2 replaces the appointment of a Board of Assessment with a Tax Assessor, which may be a qualified individual or entity. Section 2 eliminates language regarding the swearing in of the Board of Assessment and replaces references to the Board of Assessment with Tax Assessor. Section 3 replaces references to the Board of Assessment with Tax Assessor. Section 4 replaces references to the Board of Assessment with Tax Assessor and requires the Tax Assessor to be available to answer questions and provide information on the date of assessment appeals. Section 5 increases the timeframe for repaying short term borrowings from five years to fifteen years. Section 5 states that expenditures not secured by the full faith and credit of the town are exempt from the requirements of section 13 and that the Town Council may adopt an ordinance authorizing the Town Manager to borrow up to $100,000 without a Resolution of the Town Council approving the borrowing.
This bill increases the minimum wage to be paid in this State beginning in 2018 and ending in 2021.
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 bill permits the Council of the City of Newark to impose and collect a lodging tax of no more than 3 percent on hotel and motel rooms located in the City of Newark so long as it is approved by a majority of the council pursuant to the provisions of the Charter of the City of Newark.
