Rep. Kim Williams

This bill clarifies that the definition of employees who receive gratuities also includes employees that receive tips, that these employees earn more than 50% of their income from tips or gratuities. This bill clarifies that employers may continue to pay a tipped minimum wage to primary direct service employees under this bill. Employers cannot direct employees to engage in tip pooling in Delaware—tip pooling arrangements must be controlled by the employees themselves. It also clarifies that tips automatically added to a bill or added to credit card charges are to be treated like tips or gratuity and must be paid by the employer directly to the employee at the next pay period as opposed to being held by the employer waiting to receive payment from the credit card company and that the employer may not deduct service fees from the employees tips or gratuities.

Current Delaware regulations provide that transportation benefits must be provided for students in grades K through 6 who live 1 or more miles from the schools to which district administrators would normally assign them. In grades 7 through 12, the same students are entitled to transportation benefits if they live 2 or more miles from their assigned public schools. See 14 Del. Admin. C. § 1150-12.1. This Act expands transportation benefits to students in grades 7 and 8 who live 1 or more miles from the public schools to which district administrators would normally assign them. This Act takes effect 1 year after enactment. It also and makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

In 2009, New Hampshire was the first state to develop a statewide “Gun Shop Project,” reaching out to gun shops regarding the role they can play in suicide prevention. In the years since, at least 21 other states have implemented similar campaigns. This Act establishes the Delaware Gun Shop Project. The Gun Shop Project’s primary purpose is to develop, create, and provide suicide prevention education materials and training, to be made available for licensed deadly weapons dealers and consumers in Delaware The Delaware Suicide Prevention Coalition will oversee the Gun Shop Project and include the Gun Shop Project’s annual report in the Coalition’s annual report. The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, which staffs the Coalition, will staff the Gun Shop Project. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill requires that any general salary increase or one-time adjustments payable to public school employees likewise be payable to charter school employees. The bill also makes section 504A, Title 14 of the Delaware Code consistent with the Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act prohibits the seller of consumer goods or services from refusing to accept cash payment, except in limited circumstances. It creates graduated civil penalties for violations and provides consumers a private right of action to recover double damages, including consequential damages, for a second violation of the law and triple damages for subsequent violations. The Division of Consumer Protection has authority to enforce the law.

In an effort to ensure the safety and wellbeing of dogs, this legislation improves shelter and tether standards in hazardous weather conditions, including clarifying restrictions on outdoor housing and tethering for dogs during hazardous weather conditions that pose a serious adverse risk to the health and safety of dogs. This bill also aims to improve public safety by prohibiting dogs from running at-large without a leash in public outdoor settings, with the exception of working dogs and permits dogs off leash on private property or where property owner has given the dog owner permission.

This bill requires all public and charter schools which have students in grades 6-12 to provide free feminine hygiene products in 50% of the bathrooms used by students who can have a menstrual cycle. This bill also requires schools to publish on its website and post in its common areas the locations of the bathrooms where the hygiene products are provided. Finally, this bill provides that each school must consult with its school nurse regarding the products to be provided.

This Act amends the Fiscal Year 2020 Bond and Capital Improvements Act to (1) reauthorize Appoquinimink School District project local shares; (2) redistribute Community Reinvestment Funds from the African American Heritage Institute to the Peoples Settlement Association and the Redding House Foundation; (3) redistribute Municipal Infrastructure Funds to the Ocean View Historical Society and amend the project description for the Town of Laurel; (4) reprogram Department of Correction funding from the Central Violation of Probation Conversion from Level IV to Level V Design and Construction to the JTVCC Perimeter Fence, Motor Pool Building Conversion to a Level V Vocational Skills Training Center, and Maintenance and Restoration; (5) revise the amount used for a feasibility study at Delaware State University and add authorization for renovations of a community building; (6) authorize the Department of Correction to use Maintenance and Restoration funding for drug treatment space, a design and location study for Plummer Community Correction Center, and a conversion of the Central Violation of Probation center; (7) authorize the use of City of Wilmington Education Initiatives funding for recreational equipment at Kirkwood Park for use by Stubbs Elementary School; (8) authorize the State via the Complete Count Commission to enter into a contractual agreement with a non-profit for census activities in Kent and Sussex counties; (9) transfer a Delaware National Guard vehicle storage facility to the City of Harrington; (10) authorize for a transfer of property from the Delaware National Guard to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; (11) authorize a transfer of property from the Office of Management and Budget to the United States Government; (12) authorize additional reimbursements from the Community Transportation Fund; (13) authorizes the Department of Transportation to enter into contractual agreements with the Riverfront Development Corporation; (14) authorize the Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with the City of Wilmington and the Riverfront Development Corporation related to the redevelopment of South Market Street; (15) authorize the Brandywine School District to use minor capital improvement funds for site planning activities of the Charles W. Bush Early Education Center; (16) authorize the transfer of funds from the Office of Management and Budget to the Town of Laurel; and (17) allocate funding from the Delaware State Housing Authority to the Ministry of Caring.

This bill clarifies when an employer may pay a training wage in lieu of the minimum wage. A training wage is only during the first 90 days after the employee is initially hired by the employer. This bill defines that as the first time an employee is trained for the duties of a position or a substantially similar position.

This bill creates a financial incentive for employers to train and retain apprentices in apprenticeship programs. The purpose of this financial incentive is to encourage employers to create employment opportunities in Delaware and to train Delaware’s workforce to qualify for those employment opportunities.