Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · House May 18, 2021

HB 187: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS AND ADMITTING A PERSON TO VOTE.

This Act specifies the duty of election officers to establish the identity of a voter by requesting explicit forms of identification. Any citizen presenting themselves as a voter at a polling place, but who is unable to provide an acceptable form of identification, or whose eligibility to vote cannot be determined, may cast a provisional ballot. The number of provisional ballots initially available at each polling place is tripled under this Act. Provisional ballots will be processed under existing state law, as modified by this Act, allowing state election officials to determine the validity of the ballot by matching the data provided by the voter against the state’s voter records. This measure will maintain a citizen’s right to vote, while establishing clear procedures for ensuring the integrity of the voting process and facilitating greater public trust in election results.

in committee · Delaware · House May 18, 2021

HB 189: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REQUESTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT.

This Act codifies what valid forms of identification are to be included with the statement an elector must prepare to request an absentee ballot. It also allows for an elector submitting the statement by mail to include a clear photocopy of one of the valid identification forms with the statement. This Act also calls for the Department of Elections to make an additional attempt to verify the elector’s identity if such identification is not included with the statement. If the elector does not provide the verifying information, the Department of Elections will not provide an absentee ballot to the elector.

in committee · Delaware · House May 18, 2021

HB 188: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FRAUDULENT VOTING.

This Act makes fraudulent voting a class G felony level crime, with a fine of not less than $1,000 for a first offense or not less than $2,000 for a subsequent offense. Upon conviction, the person shall forfeit their right of suffrage for 5 years. Fraudulent voting includes voting, or attempting to vote, more than once; falsely impersonating another and voting or attempting to vote in the name of such person; or voting or attempting to vote in the name of another person, whether living or dead.

passed · Delaware · House May 18, 2021

HB 30: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PRIMARY ELECTIONS.

Section 1 of this bill moves the date of primary elections for statewide office, county office, and municipal office to the fourth Tuesday in April, which is the date of the presidential primary (in presidential election years). The dates for submitting and withdrawing notification of candidacy have been adjusted accordingly. Section 2 of the bill changes the deadline for a minor political party selecting its candidate at the party’s convention. Section 3 of the bill changes the deadline for filing certificates of nomination from September 1st to April 1st. Section 4 changes the “closed” period in which a voter is not allowed to change his or her political affiliation to match the 60-day limit in 15 Del. C. § 3189 for presidential primaries.

in committee · Delaware · House May 18, 2021

HB 192: AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 20 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NOTARIZATION.

Under the Governor’s Eleventh Modification of the COVID-19 State of Emergency Declaration, and continuing upon passage of Senate Bill No. 247, remote notarization and witnessing by Delaware attorneys via audio-visual technology has been permitted. This provision is currently set to sunset on June 30, 2021. This Act extends the provision through June 30, 2022.

in committee · Delaware · Senate May 18, 2021

SB 140: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 AND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE PRODUCTS AND SINGLE-SERVICE PLASTIC ITEMS.

This Act reduces risks to the environment and public health by doing all of the following: 1. Prohibiting the sale of containers, food service products, or packing material made of expanded polystyrene. 2. Prohibiting food establishments and public schools from providing ready-to-eat food and beverages in expanded polystyrene containers. 3. Limiting the use of single-service plastic items in food establishments. This Act allows restaurants to provide plastic straws at the request of a customer and does not apply to containers where the expanded polystyrene is wholly encased in more durable material. The term “food” includes beverages, under the Delaware Food Code. In addition, this Act encourages food establishments not to use or sell food that is pre-packaged in expanded polystyrene containers. This Act takes effect beginning July 1, 2022, except for public schools, for which it takes effect beginning with the 2022 – 2023 school year.

in committee · Delaware · House May 18, 2021

HCR 23: REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS TO REVIEW PRACTICES IN DELAWARE AND OTHER STATES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO VERIFYING SIGNATURES ON ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

This Resolution requires the Department of Elections to review practices in Delaware and other states and make recommendations relating to verifying signatures on absentee ballots.

in committee · Delaware · Senate May 17, 2021

SB 132: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO RENT INCREASES IN MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES.

Senate Bill No. 132 (SB 132) and Senate Bill No. 110 (SB 110) both revise the requirements for rent increases in manufactured home communities and the dispute resolution process when a rent increase is proposed. Many of the revisions to Chapter 70 of Title 25, which governs manufactured homes on rented lots in manufactured home communities, are identical in both SB 132 and SB 110. The main difference between SB 132 and SB 110 is that SB 110 clarifies when a manufactured home community owner can recover the cost of a capital improvement from the homeowners in the community by making the amount the community owner collects a capital improvement assessment fee that ends when the cost of the capital improvement is recovered, instead of a permanent rent increase. SB 132 does all of the following: 1. Adds definitions and clarifies how often a rent increase may occur or be requested. 2. Revises the requirements for when rent may be increased above the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. 3. Adds disclosure requirements to the rent increase dispute resolution process. 4. Clarifies the legal standard and scope of a court’s review of an arbitrator’s decision. 5. Clarifies when rent increases take effect. 6. Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 132 differs from SB 132 because it includes the revisions to Chapter 70 of Title 25 that are in SB 110, which are as follows: 1. Repeals the definition of “market rent” because that term is not a factor considered for justifying a rent increase under current law. 2. Clarifies that the amount the community owner collects from a capital improvement assessment fee ends when the cost of the capital improvement is recovered, instead of a permanent rent increase, consistent with a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Delaware. 3. Adds a corresponding technical change that continues to allow a homeowner or homeowner association to dispute a capital improvement assessment fee under the existing rent increase dispute resolution process. Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 132 differs from SB 132 and SB 110 as follows: 1. Restores changes in utility charges as a factor that may justify a rent increase above the CPI-U. 2. Reorganizes the notice requirements under § 7053(a) for clarity. 3. Allows a homeowner to receive income and operating expense statements from the community owner for a period of time longer than 3 years upon a showing of good cause. 4. Requires an arbitrator to use the standards in Chapter 70 of Title 25 in making a decision.

passed both · Delaware · Senate May 13, 2021

SCR 39: DESIGNATING MAY 2 – 9, 2021, AS “TARDIVE DYSKINESIA AWARENESS WEEK” IN DELAWARE.

This resolution designates May 2-9, 2021, as "Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week" in Delaware.

passed both · Delaware · Senate May 13, 2021

SCR 12: RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF MAY 2021 AS "HEALTHY VISION MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

This concurrent resolution recognizes the month of May 2021 as "Healthy Vision Month" in the State of Delaware.

passed · Delaware · House May 13, 2021

HR 11: ENCOURAGING STATE OF DELAWARE EMPLOYEES TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR HEALTH CARE DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

This resolution encourages State of Delaware employees to make informed decisions about their health care during Open Enrollment and throughout the year as an important step to help control rising health care costs and to maintain high -quality, affordable benefit options now and in the future.

passed · Delaware · Senate May 13, 2021

SCR 34: URGING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO DESIGNATE A STATE FUNERAL FOR THE FINAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT FROM WORLD WAR II.

This Concurrent Resolution urges the President of the United States to designate a State Funeral at the time appropriate for the final Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

Bill results