Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 14, 2023

HB 173: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ABSENCES OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES.

Currently school employees must use their accumulated sick leave to take off for a religious holiday that is not a State recognized religious holiday. This Act allows for 2 floating holidays per school year that would not fall within a State recognized religious holiday. The 2 floating holidays are not to be considered part of the employee's sick leave and cannot be accumulated. The building administrator must approve the request to be absent for a floating holiday but cannot ask the reason for the request. A request may only be denied if school operational requirements cannot be met.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 14, 2023

SB 171: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE STATE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

This bill repeals the requirement that the Housing Director provide notice of the allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and Housing Development Funds to the state senator, the state representative, and the chief executive officer of the local jurisdiction in which the project receiving the allocation is located. These notification requirements are duplicative of federal requirements to notify a jurisdiction’s chief executive officer of an allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Additionally, such notification requirements are considered to be impediments to fair housing choice. The 2011 and 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice reports, identified the notification requirements as impediments to fair housing. The reports were jointly prepared by Delaware State Housing Authority and local governments that receive HUD funding in fulfillment of their obligation to conduct fair housing planning. Furthermore, the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), a nonpartisan organization that represents state housing finance agencies, discourages the use of notification requirements in their 2017 Recommended Practices in Housing Credit Administration report.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 14, 2023

HB 220: AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO PROTECTING DELAWARE’S NATURAL RESOURCES.

This is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution to conserve, protect and maintain Delaware's natural resources, including its water, air, soil, flora, fauna, ecosystems and climate. This Amendment would create an inherent and inalienable right for all Delawareans to a clean and healthy environment. The Amendment would also declare the State, including all of its branches, agencies, and political subdivisions, as trustee of the State's natural resources. By enacting this amendment Delaware would join other States which have or are seeking similar provisions, in their respective Constitutions, creating the same inherent and inalienable rights for their citizens.

passed both · Delaware · House Jun 14, 2023

HCR 60: RECOGNIZING THE YOUNG MEN FROM ACROSS THE STATE OF DELAWARE PARTICIPATING IN THE 2023 SESSION OF DELAWARE’S BOYS STATE.

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes the young men participating in the 2023 session of Delaware’s Boys State and commends its sponsor, the American Legion Department of Delaware.

passed both · Delaware · Senate Jun 14, 2023

SCR 71: RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER 2023 AS "PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS" MONTH IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes September 2023 as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" in the State of Delaware.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 14, 2023

HB 170: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11, TITLE 16, AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN.

This Act does all of the following regarding suspected human trafficking of children: 1. Ensures the sharing of information between the Child Protection Accountability Commission (CPAC) and the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council. 2. Expressly requires a multidisciplinary response to these cases, similar to child deaths and serious physical injury. 3. Even though human trafficking of children is child abuse, specifically delineates it throughout the child abuse multidisciplinary investigative response. 4. Codifies a review panel and oversight committee within CPAC for these cases, with the same authority, subpoena power, and immunities provided to the system that reviews child abuse deaths and near deaths. 5. Establishes that the Office of the Child Advocate will staff the review panel and oversight committee. This Act also makes minor technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

passed both · Delaware · House Jun 13, 2023

HCR 58: COMMENDING DANA CAREY REPRESENTING THE LAKE FOREST SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR BEING SELECTED AS DELAWARE'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FOR 2023 AND COMMENDING EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CHARTER NETWORK'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR.

This Concurrent Resolution commends the 2023 Delaware Behavioral Health Professional of the Year, Dana Carey, and all of the District/Charter Network Behavioral Health Professionals of the Year.

passed both · Delaware · Senate Jun 13, 2023

SCR 72: CONGRATULATING THE CLASS OF 2022 EAGLE SCOUTS FOR HAVING ATTAINED THE HIGHEST RANK ONE CAN EARN IN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution congratulates the class 2022 Eagle Scouts for having attained the highest rank one can earn in the Boy Scouts of America.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 13, 2023

HB 152: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMMITTEE.

This Act revises the membership of the State Employee Benefits Committee by removing the Delaware retiree appointed by the Governor and adding 2 members who are eligible to receive health care insurance under Chapter 52 of Title 29 under a pension or retirement plan. The President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives each appoint 1 of these members. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

passed · Delaware · House Jun 13, 2023

HB 159: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 12, TITLE 29, AND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TAXES.

The statute in Section 1 is revised to establish that a judgment of record obtained as a result of the Director of Revenue filing the certificate under section 554 of Title 30 of the Delaware Code constitutes a judgment of record of which notice is presumed against the estate of the decedent regardless of the county in this State in which letters are granted. Section 2 modifies the deadline for having a June meeting of DEFAC to account for the for the new Juneteenth holiday. Section 3 enables the Department of Finance and the Division of Revenue to fully administer and enforce taxes where jurisdiction is assigned by the Delaware Code without reference to any specific Title. This avoids the need to revise applicable provisions of Title 30 (by enumerating each applicable title) when changes to the law make the Department responsible for the administration and enforcement of tax and tax-related laws established outside of Title 30. Section 1 of this Act applies to decedents on or at the effective date of this legislation.

signed · Delaware · Senate Jun 9, 2023

SB 73: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC WORKS BIDDER PREQUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.

This Act modifies the Public Works’ Bidder Prequalification period and changes from the existing 12-month valid period to a 24-month valid period.

signed · Delaware · Senate Jun 9, 2023

SB 57: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.

In Chiafalo v. Washington, 140 S.Ct. 2316 (2020), the United States Supreme Court made clear that states have the authority to remove or punish presidential electors who do not adhere to their obligation to vote faithfully for their parties’ candidates. This Act provides Delawareans with confidence that the votes they have cast will be honored when the Electoral College meets to decide the outcome of presidential elections by providing for the orderly operation of Delaware’s Electoral College voting process. This Act adopts the Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act, which was approved by the Uniform Law Commission. The Uniform Law Commission “provides states with non-partisan, well-conceived and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law.” This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Bill results