Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown

This bill expands upon the existing at-store recycling program regarding the use of single-use plastic bags. The existing requirements will continue, however stores subject to this program will now be limited from providing single-use plastic bags for only specific uses thereby encouraging a shift to reusable bags. The purpose of the bill, as detailed in the preamble, is to clean up Delaware’s communities and watersheds, reduce storm water and trash management costs to taxpayers, and promote the health and safety of watersheds, wildlife and humans, and the ecosystem’s food chain. On January 1, 2021 this bill enacts a ban on stores providing single-use plastic bags at check-out.

This Act makes the possession or consumption of alcohol by an individual under 21 years of age a civil offense. This Act also prohibits including information concerning a civil violation of the underage possession or consumption law on an individual’s certified criminal record.

This bill adds the intentional touching of another person with semen to the definition of sexual contact. By doing so, the act of a person intentionally touching another person with semen without consent becomes the crime of unlawful sexual contact third degree.

This Act creates the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity ("Consortium"), which replaces the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission ("WEIC"). The Consortium has multiple purposes. First, it will recommend policies and practices to the Governor, General Assembly, and Secretary of Education regarding educational equity and educational outcomes in the City of Wilmington and northern New Castle County. Second, the Consortium will monitor educational progress and outcomes for students in the City of Wilmington and for all low-income, English learners and at-risk students in northern New Castle County and report on the same. Third, the Consortium will make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding improvement in public education in the City of Wilmington and northern New Castle County. Fourth, it will evaluate the need for additional or alternative educational facilities in the City of Wilmington. Fifth, it will develop policy proposals to be introduced through legislation to improve teaching and learning in district and charter schools in the City of Wilmington and northern New Castle County. Sixth, it will develop a proposal for redistricting in the City of Wilmington and northern New Castle County. Seventh, it will research the viability of the New Castle County Tax District and Tax Pool. The Act specifies who will be appointed to the Consortium and how it will be staffed. Its first meeting must occur on or before September 1, 2019.

This Act will prohibit political subdivisions of this State from requiring real estate licensees to obtain an additional business license or pay taxes in order to list property for sellers or represent buyers for the purchase of real estate.

This Act makes a technical correction to the charter of the New Castle City Municipal Services Commission. This changed language was passed in HB 344 of the 148th General Assembly, but, for technical reasons, it was not reflected in the Charter.

This Act adds one more member, a licensed health care professional knowledgeable in the screening and identification of domestic violence cases appointed by the Council, to the Fatal Incident Review Team of the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. The Act also updates language regarding victims of domestic violence to include survivors. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill requires the State food safety standards for restaurants to include a system for requiring healthy beverages to be offered as the default beverage with a combination children’s meal inclusive of a drink, sold together at a unit price. It does not prohibit the restaurant’s ability to sell, or a customer’s ability to choose, a substitute or alternative beverage as-requested by a customer. This effectively creates an “opt in” instead of an “opt out” for many sugar-rich drink choices for children. This bill also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This concurrent resolution encourages the Department of Education to establish RAVE security systems in all public and charter schools.

This resolution urges the Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health to designate Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias as public health issues.