Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jan 15, 2025

SB 44: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIAMOND STATE PORT CORPORATION.

This Act makes changes to the Diamond State Port Corporation (“Corporation”). Specifically, this Act does the following: (1) Authorizes the Corporation’s Board of Directors (“Board”) to elect the Chair of the Board without the advice and consent of the Senate. Currently, the Governor appoints the Chair with the advice and consent of the Senate. (2) In Section 2, provides for a transition period after this Act takes effect to ensure the Board has a Chair until the Board elects a Chair under this Act. (3) Makes clear that the total membership of the Board is 14. The Director of the Division of Small Business was removed from the Board by Chapter 374 of Volume 81 of the Laws of Delaware, but the total number of members of the Board was not reduced to reflect the change. (4) Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a special act of incorporation.

in committee · Delaware · House Jan 15, 2025

HB 100: AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE EXPENSE OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2026; SPECIFYING CERTAIN PROCEDURES, CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH FUNDS; AND AMENDING CERTAIN PERTINENT STATUTORY PROVISIONS.

HB 100 allocates state funding for government operations during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, covering agency budgets and setting spending rules for state departments. It establishes procedures for how funds can be used, including specific limitations on expenditures, and updates related state laws to align with these funding allocations. This bill directly affects all state agencies receiving funding under the 2026 budget.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Delaware · House Jan 15, 2025

HB 101: AN ACT MAKING A ONE-TIME SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2026 TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET.

HB 101 allocates $17.56 million as a one-time supplemental appropriation to the Office of Management and Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. This funding is designated for specific, existing projects managed through the Office of Management and Budget, not for new programs. The bill directly affects the Office of Management and Budget, which will distribute these funds to designated state projects. It is a procedural budget measure, pending action by the Appropriations Committee after its January 15, 2025, introduction.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Delaware · House Nov 2, 2024

HB 275: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6, TITLE 11, TITLE 18, TITLE 19, AND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

This Act updates the definition of "sexual orientation" throughout the Delaware Code by adding asexuality and pansexuality. Asexuality refers to individuals with little to no sexual attraction to other individuals, although asexual individuals may desire emotionally intimate relationships with other individuals. Pansexuality refers to individuals who are attracted sexually or romantically, or both, to another individual regardless of that individual's sex or gender identity. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

signed · Delaware · House Nov 1, 2024

HB 18: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE MERIT SYSTEM OF PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION.

This bill amends the Merit System of Personnel Administration by allowing for preference in hiring for casual seasonal employees who are performing the same job duties of a posted merit position.

signed · Delaware · House Nov 1, 2024

HB 451: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LINE OF DUTY DEATH BENEFITS.

This bill expands line of duty death benefits in Delaware to include 911 dispatchers, who were previously not covered under these protections. By amending the state code, the legislation officially classifies dispatchers as "covered persons" alongside other emergency responders, ensuring their families may receive financial support if they die while performing official duties. The change applies specifically to individuals defined as 911 dispatchers under existing state statutes and does not alter the overall structure of the benefits program.

signed · Delaware · House Nov 1, 2024

HB 319: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROHIBITIONS ON NEPOTISM IN STATE EMPLOYMENT.

This Act requires the Department of Human Resources to develop an executive branch policy restricting nepotism in state employment and prohibiting supervision of a state employee by a relative. It further requires the legislative and judicial branches, as well as offices headed by other elected officials to develop and implement comparable policies.

signed · Delaware · House Oct 31, 2024

HB 387: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES IN THE STATE PROCUREMENT SYSTEM.

This Act is the result of a successful pilot project involving disadvantaged business enterprises in State contracts. In 2023, Section 189 of Senate Bill No. 35, as amended by Senate Amendment No. 2, authorized the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to engage in a pilot program to include Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) as part of large public works projects. If an agency elects to award based on best value, this Act allows for projects, valued in excess of $30,000,000, to be scored using DBE usage of at least 10% but no more than 30%. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This House Substitute Bill for House Bill No.387 clarifies that some or all of the objective criteria shall be assigned a specified weight in determining best value. This House Substitute bill also amends the Synopsis.

signed · Delaware · House Oct 25, 2024

HB 390: AN ACT TO NAME THE HILL ON THE EAST BANK OF MILL CREEK LOCATED ON NEW CASTLE PARCEL NUMBER 08-025-00-018 AS “LIEUTENANT MCMICHAEL’S HILL OF EMINENCE”.

This bill names the hill east of Mill Creek situated on New Castle County parcel number 08-025-00-018 as “Lieutenant McMichael’s Hill of Eminence”. This was the site of the action during the Revolutionary War that was the most impactful combat event that occurred on Delaware soil.

signed · Delaware · House Oct 23, 2024

HB 268: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ANNUAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WELL CHECKS.

House Bill No. 303, with House Amendment No. 2, from the 151st General Assembly created an annual behavioral health well check and required carriers to provide coverage for this service. In order to ensure providers of behavioral health well checks are fairly compensated, HB 303 required carriers to reimburse through common procedural technology (CPT) codes at the same billing rate. The cited CPT codes (99381-99387, 99391-99397) are used for services akin to a typical annual well visit for a new or established patient. Billing for the annual behavioral health well check under these CPT codes may impact the accuracy of state claims data from the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA) to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This Act amends Title 31 of the Delaware Code to allow DMMA to develop and implement new billing codes for a behavioral health well check. These developed codes must be comparable to the rates under the cited CPT codes.

signed · Delaware · House Oct 23, 2024

HB 291: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES.

This Act requires that a candidate’s political committee’s contribution and expense report, provided to the Department of Elections, include the primary employer and job title of each person contributing to the committee. This Act also requires the Department of Elections to provide a telephone number and online form for reporting alleged campaign financing violations. The informant must provide their name and contact information to the Department. The information provided to the Department is not to be considered a public record under FOIA. This Act also allows reporting parties who unintentionally receive a prohibited contribution or make a prohibited expenditure to return or reimburse the contribution or pay the contribution to the State Treasurer. This Act also eliminates the ability of anyone who makes or accepts a prohibited campaign contribution from donating the money to a designated Title 30 charitable organization. The Act requires anyone who knowingly accepts an unlawful campaign contribution to pay the money to the State Treasurer for deposit to the General Fund.

signed · Delaware · House Oct 23, 2024

HB 223: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR NURSING PROFESSIONALS.

This Act amends the continuing education requirements for nursing professionals, mandating that all nursing professionals receive at least one hour of continuing education in each reporting period on the recognition of sexual or physical abuse, exploitation, or domestic violence of vulnerable populations, or on the reporting obligations under the rules and regulations of the Board of Nursing. The Act removes the requirement for nursing professionals who work in adult gerontology to complete continuing education on the topic of diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias.

Bill results