Rep. Krista Griffith

This Act revises Chapter 12 of Title 3 of the Delaware Code which governs the use of pesticides. This Act will direct the Department of Agriculture to classify neonicotinoid pesticides designed or intended for use in outdoor applications as restricted use pesticides and establish a list of chemicals that belong to the neonicotinoid class of chemicals to be included under this classification. Neonicotinoid pesticides are suspected of having adverse effects on pollinating insects and may contribute to the disappearance of bee populations, commonly referred to as "colony collapse disorder." Under the Act, as a restricted use pesticide, neonicotinoids designed for outdoor use could only be purchased and used by certified and licensed pesticide applicators, or persons working under the direct supervision of a certified and licensed pesticide applicator.

The Act, which shall be known as the 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program, creates a “relief rebate” which is a one-time direct payment of $300 per Delaware resident taxpayer. This relief is intended to help Delawareans grappling with significant inflation at the grocery store and gas pump. Payment of the $300 will be made by the Delaware Department of Finance to resident individual income taxpayers who filed a 2020 personal income tax return. This payment will be made to each taxpayer, including those who jointly filed. No action on the part of a taxpayer is required to receive the $300. In order to quickly provide this payment to Delaware taxpayers, provisions pertaining to tax intercepts by other government entities and Delaware State agencies shall not apply. The amount received by individual taxpayers will not be subject to Delaware income taxes. Any written protest for the disallowance of the payment of the $300 relief rebate under this Act shall be processed consistently with existing provisions in Title 30. Records of the Department with respect to the provisions of this Act are subject to existing protections from disclosure under Delaware laws. A timely filed tax return includes extensions. This Act also temporarily suspends the limitation on refunds of taxes under Title 29 of the Code until DEFAC refund estimates include the 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program. Costs associated with the administration and issuance of payments under this Act will be funded by delinquent tax revenue authorized to be retained by the Department of Finance in the annual budget act. Finally, this Act requires the Department of Finance to establish a process to provide the relief rebate to resident adults who did not file a 2020 state income tax return by identifying adult residents through existing databases held by other state agencies, such as the Division of Motor Vehicles. The Department of Finance will then work with the Department of Technology and Information to implement a process by which eligible residents who have not been identified by other means can apply for and receive the relief rebate, subject to verification of their identity and eligibility.

This Act repeals the outdated requirement for the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families (DSCYF) to seek approval before “mixing” youth who have been adjudicated delinquent with youth who do not have a delinquency history in the same facility. The mixing statute was codified in 1987, and since then, DSCYF has developed rigorous safety protocols and uses evidence-based assessments to determine appropriate placements for children in the care of the department. The current practices of DSCYF have eliminated the need for mixing approval, which in some cases require DSCYF to seek a court order. In addition, the Family Court conducts regular review hearings for youth in DSCYF custody, allowing opportunities for the department, the child’s attorney, the child (if age appropriate), and the judicial officer to monitor many factors relating to the child’s placement, including safety. This Act retains the prohibition on dependent or neglected children being placed in a detention facility unless charged with or found to have committed a delinquent act.

This resolution recognizes April 11-17, 2022 as "Black Maternal Health Awareness Week" in Delaware.

This bill prohibits the use of gender, gender identity, or sex as a rating factor in personal automobile insurance policies. The Gender Disparities in Auto Insurance Pricing Report issued by the Delaware Department of Insurance and Consumer Federation of America shows that many insured Delaware women are charged more than men even when all other factors, including drivers’ history, are the same. Six states have similar existing laws: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Section 1 of this Act creates a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for qualified expenses incurred by a family caregiver (claimant) to assist a qualified family member. To be qualified, a family member must be at least 62 years of age, reside in a private home or residence, require assistance with two or more daily living activities as certified by a qualified physician, and be an immediate family member of the claimant or related by marriage, blood, or adoption to a near degree. Subject to a number of limitations, a claimant may claim 50% of the costs of qualified expenses the claimant paid for in the year to which the claim relates. Qualified expenses include amounts spent to improve the claimant’s primary residence to assist the family member, on equipment to help the family member with daily living activities, on counseling, support groups, or training relating to caring for a family member, and on obtaining other goods or services to help the claimant care for the family member. In addition, qualified expenses include any other item that relates directly to the health or safety of the family member, as determined by the Secretary of Finance after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The maximum amount of credit that may be claimed each year for a particular family member is $2,000 or $1,000 if married spouses file separately. Only one claimant may make a claim under this section for a particular qualified family member. In addition, no credit may be claimed by a claimant whose taxable income in the year to which the claim relates exceeds $75,000 if the claimant is single or is married and files separately or $150,000 if the claimant is married and files jointly. Generally under the bill, qualified expenses may not include general food, clothing, transportation, or household repair costs, or amounts that are paid or reimbursed by an insurance company or the government. The credit first applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. Because the credit is nonrefundable, it may be claimed only up to the amount of the claimant's tax liability. Section 2 of this Act provides that the Department of Finance shall develop an annual report on the tax credit’s usage. Section 3 of the Act provides that the tax credit will sunset after three years after its enactment into law, unless otherwise provided by an act of the General Assembly.

This Act provides a registration system for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. At the present time, individuals and organizations who are not certified to provide interpreting services are presenting themselves as acceptable/qualified interpreters without consequence. This is extremely problematic for all consumers utilizing interpreter services. It harms the interests of people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind by depriving them of the right to meaningful access and involvement in legal or medical settings, as well as other activities in the community. It also harms the interests of people who are not Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind by denying them access to effective communication with people who use ASL by providing a lesser quality service than what they believe they are purchasing. A State registration system will help ensure that only qualified individuals provide this vital and necessary service. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 11 of Article VIII of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to impose a fee.

This Resolution designates March 24th as Delaware Women and Girls STEM Day to celebrate and empower women and girls in STEM fields and promote STEM literacy and education in Delaware.

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 26, 2022, as “Epilepsy Awareness Day” and requests that the Governor issue a proclamation declaring the same. The Resolution encourages the State agencies and all Delawareans to undertake suitable efforts to increase epilepsy awareness throughout the State of Delaware.

This bill criminalizes the possession, sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt of a short-barreled shotgun and short-barreled rifle which is not registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. While it is currently illegal under federal law to possess or build such weapons without registration and payment of the tax, it is not illegal under Delaware law. This bill makes the possession, purchase, receipt or sale or such weapons a Class E violent felony punishable by up to 5 years in jail.