Rep. Stephen Smyk

Historically, vehicles under the control of the Delaware State Fire Commission have been equipped with emergency lights. This bill amends Section 4106 to clarify and confirm that vehicles of the Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission are emergency vehicles that may be equipped with emergency lights.

This bill establishes the pilotage rates for the Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware for 2023, 2024, and 2025.

This Act allows counties to use Realty Transfer Tax funds for recreational amenities and land preservation programs.

This Act increases the $2,000 pension exclusion otherwise available for military pensioners under age 60 to $12,500, providing an incentive for military retirees under age 60 to locate in Delaware. This Act is effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.

House Bill 214 enacted by the 148th General Assembly (80 Del. Laws c. 287) expanded the offense of Assault in the Second Degree to include the intentional assault of ambulance operators, rescue squad members, and nurses injured while performing work-related duties. As a result of increasing workplace violence directed against healthcare providers, this Act further defines Assault in the Second Degree to include other health care treatment providers and employees and hospital security personnel who are injured while performing their work-related duties.

This bill increases the annual earnings limit for pensioners in the State Employees’ Pension Plan who return to work in a non-pension creditable position to $40,000 for earnings received beginning in calendar year 2021.

This Act updates the per diem compensation of any retired justice, judge, chancellor or vice chancellor accepting an active duty designation from $250 per day to 1/365 of the annual salary for such a judicial officer. This is consistent with the per diem compensation provided to retired justices of the peace and commissioners of the Superior Court, the Family Court, and the Court of Common Pleas accepting an active duty designation.

Federal law permits states to require federal firearms licensees (FFLs) to conduct background checks through a state agency, or point of contact, instead of directly through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This Act creates the Firearm Transaction Approval Program (FTAP) within the State Bureau of Identification (SBI) of the Delaware State Police and designates the SBI's FTAP as the point of contact between an FFL and the federal databases checked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for purposes of conducting background checks for firearm purchases or transfers. By establishing SBI as the point of contact for all firearm purchases or transfers in this State, SBI becomes responsible for determining if a potential buyer or transferee is prohibited from receipt or possession of a firearm under § 1448 of Title 11 of the Delaware Code or federal law. This enables SBI to search other databases in addition to relying on the required NICS check, enhancing background checks conducted in this State. This Act enables firearms dealers who suspect a straw purchase has or is occurring to notify SBI using the same hotline that is established for background checks through FTAP. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Resolution requests the Attorney General’s Office, the Director of the Delaware Justice Information System (“DELJIS”), and the Secretary of Health and Social Services to provide reports to the General Assembly that will provide information regarding the effectiveness of the current “Red Flag Laws”, as well as other statistics that may provide more insight so that in the future, the General Assembly might refine said laws, further protecting Delaware citizens from violence due to firearms.

This Act is made to authorize Paramedics and other Emergency Medical Services Personnel to provide medical care to Police Dogs injured at the scene of an emergency. This Act also grants civil and criminal immunity to such Emergency Employees who provide medical services to Police Dogs, so long as their efforts to assist the Police Dog were in good faith. However, it does clarify that in a situation where a person and a Police Dog need Emergency Medical Care at the same time the Medical Services Personnel are prohibited from providing care to the Police Dogs over the Individual Person, if the care of the Police Dog would hinder the Person’s Care.