Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 1, 2023

HB 179: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 17 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ENTRANCE PERMITS.

This Act requires the Department of Transportation to issue an entrance permit to a private or public utility upon presentation of a satisfactory entrance permit application where the private or public utility owns or has an easement for the entrance location.

Dave Wilson (R) Frank Cooke (D) Stell Selby (D) Jack Walsh (D) Lyndon Yearick (R)

signed · Delaware · Senate May 31, 2023

SB 62: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TRAVEL INSURANCE.

This Act makes minor changes to licensing and registration of limited lines travel insurance producers and travel retailers and establishes a comprehensive framework for the sale and marketing of travel insurance. Specifically, the legislation establishes uniform meanings of key terms; allows travel products to continue to be offered in a manner that provides a seamless consumer experience and cost-saving efficiencies; clarifies impermissible and prohibited sales practices, and the applicability of the state’s unfair trade practices law; requires several consumer disclosures; clarifies that travel insurance may be sold via individual, group, or blanket policies; clarifies current practice with respect to premium taxes; and clarifies that travel insurance is generally classified and filed as an inland marine line of insurance.

signed · Delaware · House May 31, 2023

HB 57: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SPEED EXHIBITIONS, DRAG RACING, AND OTHER SPEED CONTESTS.

During the 151st General Assembly, House Bill No. 328 was passed updating the law relating to drag racing and other speed contests. This bill makes a small change to that law by specifying that tag-surrender in lieu of impoundment is available as a penalty only for Delaware-registered vehicles.

signed · Delaware · Senate May 31, 2023

SB 95: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DRIVER'S LICENSES.

This Act adds clarity to the statutory changes made by Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 151 of the 151st General Assembly related to driver’s licenses for foster children. This Act clarifies that during the initial 6 months of a Learner’s Permit, a foster parent is liable for the negligent driving of the foster child up to the limits of the foster parent's applicable insurance coverage. This Substitute differs from the original bill in that it clarifies the language that refers to the insurance coverage and clarifies such language in both the new subsection and in the existing Code.

signed · Delaware · Senate May 31, 2023

SB 97: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 1, TITLE 2, TITLE 3, TITLE 4, TITLE 5, TITLE 7, TITLE 12, TITLE 16, TITLE 25, TITLE 26, TITLE 27, TITLE 28, TITLE 29, TITLE 30, AND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GENDER SILENCING THE DELAWARE CODE.

In 1995, the General Assembly directed the Code Revisors to gender neutralize or otherwise ensure that a solely masculine or feminine designation never occurs unless it could only apply to one gender. The Code Revisors followed this direction and worked to ensure that laws enacted after 1995 were gender neutralized during the codification process. The Code Revisors also began working through the Delaware Code in existence in 1995 to gender neutralize existing law, a process that is not yet complete. Since 1995, the more common legislative drafting technique is to draft laws so that they are gender silent. Gender silent drafting techniques include substituting the noun for which the masculine or feminine pronoun refers. Thus, instead of drafting a law to say, “The Governor may appoint an individual if he or she deems him or her qualified”, following gender silent techniques the law would say, “The Governor may appoint an individual if the Governor deems the individual qualified.” This technique has the added benefit of providing clarity as many times use of multiple masculine or feminine pronouns can result in confusion as to which noun the pronouns refer. This Act serves two purposes. First, Section 1 of this Act directs and authorizes the Code Revisors to use gender silent techniques to ensure masculine or feminine pronouns are not used in Delaware Code unless the usage requires otherwise. Second, the goal of Sections 2 through 141 of this Act is to complete the process of removing purely masculine pronouns by using gender silent techniques, except in instances where it could not be determined which noun the masculine pronoun applied to.

signed · Delaware · Senate May 30, 2023