Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf

Individuals who volunteer their services through stand-alone EMS companies have been a valuable part of public safety to the citizens of the State of Delaware. To try to bolster the ranks of these volunteers, this bill exempts anyone applying for membership of a volunteer EMS company from paying the cost of a background check done by the State of Delaware Bureau of Identification.

This Act amends the Charter of Rehoboth Beach to give the Commissioners the authority to impose and collect a lodging tax. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Bill establishes the pilotage rates for the Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

This Act allows Sussex County, by duly enacted ordinance, to impose a local lodging tax of no more than 3 percent of rent on rooms in a hotel, motel or tourist home located in the unincorporated areas of the County. Such funds may only be used in Sussex County for the capital and operating costs of beach nourishment, waterway dredging, economic development, tourism programs, recreational activities, and water quality and flood control projects.

This Act changes the composition of the Council on Recreational Fishing Funding.

This Concurrent Resolution confirms Mark J. Cutrona as the new Director of Research of Legislative Council.

This Act establishes in-person early voting in Delaware beginning January 1, 2022. Registered voters will be allowed to vote in-person during at least 10 days before an election, up to and including the Saturday and Sunday immediately before the election at locations determined by the State Election Commissioner. This Act also charges the State Election Commissioner with determining whether such voting should occur by voting machine or paper ballot. All other procedures relating to conducting voting are the same as for general election voting. Further, this Act requires that for statewide elections there must be at least 1 in-person polling place in each county, and an additional location in the City of Wilmington.

This Act exempts a number of nonprofit corporations from property taxation or assessment by a county or other political subdivision of the State.

This Concurrent Resolution acknowledges June as LGBTQA+ Pride Month and recognizes the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall.

The Department of Health and Human Services (“DHSS”) was established in 1970 by legislative enactment with a broad and crucial mandate: to supervise the health, well being, and life of Delaware citizens. In the decades since, the population of Delaware has increased, and the needs of Delaware citizens have required increasingly complex and costly medical interventions; particularly for those most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly and those suffering from addiction. To serve this broad array of individual needs, DHSS has adapted to provide personalized and individualized services to citizens at a level of direct care. Additionally, the broad language of DHSS’ authorizing statute has required it to maintain focus on other policy initiatives, such as promoting public health and administering healthcare through Medicaid while maintaining compliance with state and Federal laws and regulations, which themselves have grown in complexity. Given the advancements in both individualized care and the policy landscape, this Resolution creates a committee designed to investigate whether to reorganize or restructure the Department as a means to reaffirm its original purpose. Its goal is to ensure that Delawareans receive high-quality care on an individualized basis, and will recommit the Department to its important policy objectives, such as maximizing efficiency and reducing cost.