Rep. Charles Potter Jr.

This bill clarifies the General Assembly’s intent last session in amending the state’s habitual offender law, specifically (a) that the changes made by the General Assembly were intended to affect minimum mandatory sentences, not sentences where judges had already exercised complete discretion, (b) that the changes were not designed to reduce minimum mandatory sentences associated in the Delaware Code with specific crimes (e.g. illegal gun possession), and (c) allows the sentencing judge to impose probation after the minimum mandatory sentence required by this section.

This Act creates a Chapter 60 in Title 11 relating to providing individuals Fair Notice. Specifically, the Act requires individuals considering a plea of guilty in a criminal court of law be provided information related to the collateral consequences of a conviction. In addition, the Act requires additional notice be provided to a person convicted of a crime at the time of sentencing and upon release.

This Act requires that all public bodies that are subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") respond to requests for information from persons who are not residents of Delaware. In doing so, this Act does not change the purpose of FOIA, which is to further the accountability of State government to the citizens of this State, who, as taxpayers, are funding the work of the public bodies. As such, this Act allows state agencies and public bodies to create higher fees for responses to FOIA requests from persons who are not residents of Delaware. This Act also allows persons who are not residents of Delaware to challenge the validity of an action by a public body and extends the deadline by which to do so. It clarifies that a public body can go into executive session to discuss any individual's qualifications to hold a job or pursue training, not just to discuss the qualifications of a resident of Delaware.

This Joint Resolution opposes the cost allocation of the Artificial Island Transmission Project as unfair and unduly burdensome to the ratepayers of Delaware and urges PJM to join with Delaware in contesting the cost allocation in the proceedings pending before FERC.

An individual's housing status should not be a basis for discrimination. This bill establishes a "Homeless Individual's Bill of Rights" that provides rights to protections for individuals experiencing homelessness, including protections from discrimination while in public and while seeking access to housing, employment, and temporary shelter. This bill vests important investigatory and enforcement authority with the State's Division of Human Relations and the State Human Relations Commission, similar to their roles with Delaware's Equal Accommodations Law and Delaware's Fair Housing Act.

Section 1 of this Act updates Delaware’s existing Motor Voter Program to adopt an automatic voter registration process. Currently, when Delawareans apply for, renew, or replace a driver’s license or identification card, they must choose to register to vote, update an existing registration, or decline registration. This bill would require eligible voters to instead “opt out” of having their information automatically shared with the Delaware Department of Elections for registration. Six states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar opt out policies. A portion of Section 1 (specifically, § 2050(b), Title 15) and Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this Act make technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual with no intent to change the substance of these sections.

This Act would remove the broad exemption that the University of Delaware and Delaware State University currently receive under the state Freedom of Information Act. In recognition of the sensitive nature of some records held by public universities, this Act would also add some specific exemptions for public universities. Specifically, confidential letters or statements related to admission, employment or honors would not be a public record for purposes of FOIA. Universities would not be required to disclose scholarly research or information related thereto where such information is of a proprietary nature. Finally, certain information related to fundraising activities would be protected from disclosure. Delaware’s FOIA, as currently written, already exempts personally identifiable student information protected by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

This Act amends the Fiscal Year 2017 Bond and Capital Improvements Act to 1) authorize the expenditure of prior year Community Redevelopment Funds for public safety purposes in the City of Wilmington; 2) clarify the applicability of prevailing wage provisions on Community Transportation Fund and Municipal Street Aid projects; 3) authorize the Department of Transportation to use Community Transportation Funds for one-time reimbursements for various projects 4) allow for the use of certain operating funds of local school districts as a match for school construction; 5) allow Cape Henlopen to transfer certain unobligated major capital improvement funds for the Sussex Consortium Building project; and 6) to authorize the Office of Management and Budget to execute loand collateral-related documents related to the New Castle County Courthouse parking facility

This joint resolution rejects the report of the Delaware Compensation Commission in its entirety.

This House Concurrent Resolution recognizes February 2017 as “African American History Month.” It also requests the Governor issue a proclamation declaring the same and encouraging State agencies and all Delawareans to observe the occasion with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.