Delaware Bills

signed · Delaware · House Apr 12, 2023

HB 71: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 RELATING TO THE LYME DISEASE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT BOARD.

This bill clarifies that the goal and function of the Lyme Disease Education Oversight Board includes Lyme Disease and other tick-related diseases. This Act supersedes the previous sunset provision that established the Board in House Bill 291 from the 148th General Assembly (80 Del. Laws c. 402 § 1) and extends the Board’s existence until 2032 unless otherwise provided by a subsequent act of the General Assembly.

Ed Osienski (D) Dave Wilson (R) Tim Dukes (R) Pete Schwartzkopf (D) Dave Sokola (D)

signed · Delaware · Senate Apr 6, 2023

SB 63: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FARMS.

This bill updates the criteria for agriculture, horticulture, or forestry land use.

signed · Delaware · Senate Mar 30, 2023

SB 54: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NET METERING.

This bill extends the effective date of certain provisions of Section 1014 of Title 26 of the Delaware Code for utilities regulated by the Public Service Commission.

signed · Delaware · House Mar 29, 2023

HJR 1: ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO IMPROVE SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING AND LITERACY EDUCATION EFFORTS IN DELAWARE.

This Joint Resolution creates a bi-partisan School Mentoring and Literacy Task Force, designed to expand volunteer mentoring and literacy education in Delaware schools ,with a report due on June 1, 2023.

signed · Delaware · House Mar 22, 2023

HB 58: AN ACT TO AMEND THE NEWARK CITY CHARTER RELATING TO THE CITY’S ABILITY TO BORROW MONEY AND INCUR INDEBTEDNESS.

This Act amends the City of Newark Charter. Specifically, this Act increases the amount the City can borrow for municipal improvements that are directly assessed against adjoining owners of property from $500,000 to $1,000,000. This Act also exempts any short or long-term debt incurred from receipt of government revolving loan funds from the special referendum requirements set forth in the City Charter. This would allow Council to approve such borrowing directly and would eliminate the cost and time associated with holding a referendum.

signed · Delaware · Senate Jan 26, 2023

SB 35: AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAWS OF DELAWARE RELATING TO THE BOND AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE AND CERTAIN OF ITS AUTHORITIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2023.

This Act amends the Fiscal Year 2023 Bond and Capital Improvements Act to (1) authorize the use of School Safety and Security Funds for school extracurricular activities; (2) authorize local funding to support Enhanced Minor Capital Improvements and the remediation of lead contaminated drinking water infrastructures; (3) adjust the procurement thresholds for the issuance of formal bids or RFPs; (4) authorize the Department of Transportation to use Community Transportation Funds for one-time reimbursements for various projects; (5) make changes to the Criminal Legal System Imposed Debt Study Group; (6) authorize the Department of Transportation Reprogramming Transfer; (7) authorize funding to complete the facility drainage project of Absalom Jones Performing Arts Center; (8) authorize the donation of the Division of Communications Shelter to the University of Delaware; (9) authorize the use of funding until the new Troop 6 facility is complete and available for occupancy; (10) allow New Castle County Vocational School District to proceed with construction of new athletic fields; (11) authorize the use of Irrigation System Conversion funds to reimburse a new poultry house demolition assistance program; (12) clarify the calculation of 3% limit of GF net revenue estimate for finance capital projects is applied to revenues identified in the revenue resolution for the fiscal year of the budget being adopted; (13) authorize Fort DuPont Redevelopment and Preservation Corporation to use funds for capital projects; (14) authorize Municipal Infrastructure Funds to be used for the North Bayshore Drainage Improvements; (15) authorize the Office of Management and Budget to engage in a pilot program to include Community Workforce Agreements; (16) authorize the Department of Transportation to engage in a Community Workforce Agreement for no more than two large public works projects; and (17) require a report from the Office of Management and Budget regarding State Facilities Market Pressure.

signed · Delaware · House Jan 26, 2023

HB 49: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND EMPLOYER ASSESSMENTS.

This Act provides post-pandemic related relief to both claimants receiving unemployment benefits and employers who are assessed unemployment taxes. This bill will increase the maximum weekly benefit amount payable to claimants seeking unemployment compensation benefits from the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance from $400.00 a week to $450.00 a week. The funds necessary to pay the increased weekly benefit amounts will be paid from the Unemployment Trust Fund. Delaware currently pays unemployment claimants less per week in benefits than claimants are paid in each neighboring state. The maximum weekly benefit amount has not changed since 2019. The Governor’s agreement to allow federal pandemic funds to be used to replace the funds in the Unemployment Trust Fund that were depleted from the surge of pandemic related claims has made the Unemployment Trust Fund sufficiently solvent so as to allow the Department to offer unemployment tax relief measures to Delaware employers for a one-year period during calendar year 2023, at a time when employers continue to face post-pandemic rising economic challenges, supply chain problems, and difficultly in staffing. This Act will provide temporary relief to employers who pay unemployment tax assessments by reducing the new employer tax rates, reducing or holding constant overall employer tax rates, and reducing the maximum earned rate. This Act will also temporarily simplify the tax rate schedules that are used to calculate unemployment assessments paid by employers. The Department estimates that these unemployment tax assessment changes will reduce the tax obligation of employers an estimated $50 million in 2023. The various tax assessment relief provisions set forth in Sections 2 and 3 of this Act are retroactive to January 1, 2023 and are intended to be in effect for the full calendar year 2023.

signed · Delaware · Senate Jan 26, 2023

SB 28: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE AND CHAPTER 420 OF VOLUME 83 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE RELATING TO DENTISTRY AND DENTAL HYGIENE.

This Act provides that if a dentist holds a community health license to care for underserved populations through a federally-qualified health center or a government-operated dental clinic and continues to practice in compliance with § 1132B(b) of Title 24 of the Delaware Code, the dentist’s license is renewable and shall be renewed biennially by the State Board of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene. This Act also extends the due date for the Dental Care Access Task Force’s report to April 1, 2023.

signed · Delaware · Senate Jan 26, 2023

SB 29: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CONSOLIDATION ACT.

To foster sustainability in state retiree healthcare benefits and the development of a plan for strong benefits beyond the current Medicare Supplement plan offered through January 1, 2024, this Act does all of the following: 1. Expands the membership of the State Employee Benefits Committee by adding a state retiree to the Committee and adding an additional representative from public sector union organizations; 2. Requires the Controller General to provide comprehensive biannual public reports to the General Assembly regarding the work of the State Employee Benefits Committee; and 3. Establishes the Retiree Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee of the State Employee Benefits Committee, whose membership will include three state retirees and four members of the General Assembly, and whose charge includes holding public meetings and issuing recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by May 1, 2023.

signed · Delaware · House Jan 19, 2023

HB 25: AN ACT TO DECLARE THE 2022 DELAWARE RELIEF REBATES AS QUALIFIED DISASTER PAYMENTS.

This legislation establishes that a relief rebate issued under the 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program during the period that the federal major disaster declaration exists for the State of Delaware is intended to be a qualified disaster relief payment under § 139 of the Internal Revenue Code. It further provides that the State makes no representations or warranties to recipients regarding the 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program and that civil actions of any nature and claims for any form of economic entitlement including but not limited to damages are prohibited with respect to this legislation. This legislation is effective as of the date on which the 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program was enacted.

signed · Delaware · House Nov 7, 2022

HB 434: AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 185, VOLUME 82 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE RELATING TO REALLOCATION OF TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT FROM EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCIES.

This legislation is based on information technology (“IT”) recommendations of the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (“GEAR”) Board established by Governor Carney’s Executive Order Four. This act removes the sunset clause in 9016F (formerly 9016C) Chapter 90C of Title 29 of the Delaware Code and allows for the establishment of a shared IT services model for state agencies. The shared services model centralizes the following duties and related executive branch personnel under DTI: technology end user support, cyber security, network management, server management, data management, IT project management, software application development/support, IT procurement oversight, IT fiscal planning, IT standards, and technology governance. In addition to facilitating the delivery of technology services in a consistent and comprehensive manner, technology centralization will position the State to stay abreast of technologies to enable innovation and enhance services to Delawareans. IT centralization also supports regulatory compliance requirements (e.g. IRS, CJIS), network and data security, and provides controls for the overall State IT landscape and spend.

signed · Delaware · House Nov 7, 2022

HB 148: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE POLICE TRAINING PROGRAM.

Currently if a municipality or other governmental unit employs a police officer who has within 2 years completed mandatory training while in the employ of another municipality or governmental unit, the new employer reimburses the prior employer. This act changes the reimbursement if the change of employment occurs within 4 years, and changes the yearly rate of reimbursement to reflect the new time period to $40,000 for one year, $30,000 for two years, $20,000 for three, and $10,000 for four years .

Bill results