Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 12, 2019

SB 105: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MINIMUM WAGE.

This bill increases the minimum wage to be paid in this State beginning in 2020.

Darius Brown (D) Gerald L. Brady (D) Bryan Townsend (D) · 5 co-sponsors

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 12, 2019

HB 215: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES.

This act states that advocates for victims of domestic violence, domestic abuse, sexual assault, abuse by a caregiver, human trafficking, or stalking may not disclose any communication made by a victim to the advocate without express written consent of the victim.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 12, 2019

HB 210: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO AUTHORIZING A PILOT PROGRAM TO ISSUE GRANTS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF RESIDENTIAL DRINKING WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS.

This bill establishes a 2 year residential drinking water purification system pilot grant program to be administered through the Department of Health and Social Services with funding from the Non-Federal Administrative Allowance of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 12, 2019

HB 181: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE REGARDING ADOPTION OF THE MODEL RELOCATION ACT.

This bill adopts the majority of the Model Relocation Act proposed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers relating to the relocation of the principal residence of a child. When deciding a custody case in which an individual is seeking to relocate a child outside of the State, many judges in Family Court refer to the Model Relocation Act when reaching their decisions. However, the Model Relocation Act is only persuasive in these decisions and is not required to be considered by the Court. Therefore, this bill codifies the Model Relocation Act to require its consideration in a Court’s analysis during these types of proceedings and provides a more structure guideline for the Court when deciding such decisions.

signed · Delaware · Senate Jun 12, 2019

SB 34: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE CREATING A PRESCRIPTION OPIOID IMPACT FUND.

This Act creates a Prescription Opioid Impact Fund (“Fund”) through a prescription opioid impact fee (“Fee”) that is paid by pharmaceutical manufacturer. The anticipated revenue from the Fee is $2.8 million in 2020, $2.7 million in 2021, and $2.5 million in 2022.: 1. The fee is based on the total of the Morphine Milligram Equivalent (“MME”) in each manufacturer’s products dispensed in Delaware, based upon data already reported to the Prescription Monitoring Program (“PMP”). The PMP data contains the mandatory reports by pharmacists of every prescription opioid dispensed in the State. The PMP data does not include prescription opioids administered in hospitals, provided directly to patients by hospice, or dispensed by veterinarians. 2. The fee is assessed on manufacturers who exceed a threshold of 100,000 MMEs dispensed each quarter. 3. The Fee is calculated at a rate of either 1 penny per MME for a name brand prescription opioid dispensed and reported in the PMP or ¼ of a penny per MME for a prescription opioid that is a generic. The Act also provides that Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, after receiving recommendations from the Behavioral Health Consortium, the Addiction Action Committee, and the Overdose System of Care Committee, will award grants and contracts from the money in the Fund for the following activities: 1. Opioid addiction prevention. 2. Opioid addiction services, including the following: 3. Inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and facilities, including short-term and long-term residential treatment programs and sober living facilities. 4. Treating substance use disorder for the under-insured and uninsured. 5. Emergency assistance relating to prescription opioids, including purchasing Naloxone. 6. Administrative costs of implementing the Fee and Fund, up to 15% of the amount in the Fund. Finally, this Act expires in 5 years, unless terminated sooner or extended by the General Assembly, so that the Fee is only continued if it is effective and is not creating negative unintended consequences.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 12, 2019

HCR 47: ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE THE COST OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO COST EFFICIENCY.

This concurrent resolution establishes a Task Force to investigate the cost of special education to include recommending strategies to improve cost efficiencies and outcomes for special education.

passed both · Delaware · Senate Jun 11, 2019

SCR 45: CONGRATULATING THE CLASS OF 2018-2019 EAGLE SCOUTS FOR HAVING ATTAINED THE HIGHEST RANK ONE CAN EARN IN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.

This resolution congratulates the class 2018-2019 Eagle Scouts for having attained the highest rank one can earn in the Boy Scouts of America.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 11, 2019

HB 176: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 16 AND 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH INSURANCE INDIVIDUAL MARKET STABILIZATION REINSURANCE PROGRAM.

This Act creates the Delaware Health Insurance Individual Market Stabilization Reinsurance Program & Fund (the “Program”). The Program will be administered by the Delaware Health Care Commission in order to provide reinsurance to health insurance carriers that offer individual health benefit plans in Delaware. The Program will be funded with pass-through funds received from the federal government under the Affordable Care Act, funds provided by the Federal Government for reinsurance, and through a 2.75% annual assessment based on insurance carrier’s premium tax liability.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 11, 2019

SB 144: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GENETICS BASED DISCRIMINATION.

The use of genetic information in disqualifying coverage for non-health insurance products is a gap in the protection provided by the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. As a result, patients who seek genetic counseling to determine whether they may be at risk for certain diseases, such as genetic testing for the BRCA gene to determine predisposition for breast and prostate cancers, are cautioned that a positive result could result in the person being denied insurance. The potential denial of insurance has a chilling effect on patients seeking genetic testing, blocking them from being proactive by putting in place a preventative care plan that would reduce the likelihood of them getting the specific disease in the future. This Act follows the lead of other states and prohibits discrimination based upon genetic information in the issuance or renewal of disability, long-term care, and life insurance by doing the following: 1. Clearly explains what constitutes discrimination under this Act. 2. Allows the results of genetic information approved by the Insurance Commissioner to be used for disability or long-term care insurance in a manner that is reasonably related to anticipated claims experience. 3. Prohibits sharing the results of direct-to-consumer genetic tests with insurers. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 11, 2019

HB 213: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO COUNTY TAXES.

This Act fully exempts property taxes for disabled veterans with a 100% VA rated service-connected, permanent and total disability or disabled veterans who are receiving 100% disability compensation due to individual unemployability. The 100% rating and disability compensation is determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The disabled veteran must be legally domiciled in the State for 3 consecutive years and own and occupy the real property as his or her primary place of residence to qualify for the exemption. This exemption only applies to the county portion of property taxes and not school taxes.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 11, 2019

HB 204: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION.

In a case of first impression, the Superior Court ruled, contrary to "common knowledge" of Delaware Criminal laws, that criminal impersonation requires proof that a real person (a human being who has been born and is alive) has been impersonated; in other words, one cannot impersonate a fictitious person. Evans v. State, Del. Super., April 30, 2019. This Act provides that criminal impersonation occurs when one impersonates a real or fictitious person.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 11, 2019

HB 203: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DONATION BINS.

This bill places restrictions on the placement of clothing bins. The bill requires a person who places a clothing bin on a property, or has an existing clothing bin on a property, to obtain a permit from the Department of Health and Social Services. The bill also imposes civil penalties on those that violate any provision of this Act and allows for seizure of any violator’s clothing bin at its expense, with an appeal process in the Justice of the Peace Court.

Bill results