Rep. Paul Baumbach

This Senate Concurrent Resolution marks the 400th Anniversary of the arrival of the first known Africans in English North America at Point Comfort, Virginia in 1619. It addresses the history of American slavery which grew out of that event, ultimately involving 15 American states including Delaware, and serving as a major cause of the American Civil War. Finally the resolution urges all Delawareans to familiarize themselves with this history and honors African Americans for overcoming this terrible reality to build a culture of extraordinary richness which has enriched all our lives.

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

This Act amends the Delaware Governmental Accountability Act to make the annual budget process part of a performance management system of strategic planning, performance metrics and performance budgeting, dedicated to continuous process improvement that makes government more efficient, reduces costs and eliminates waste in the process and operations that deliver goods and services to taxpayers, customers and employees of State government.

This act will allow a critical need reimbursement to be distributed directly to an institute of higher education or Secretary of Education approved Alternative Routes to Teacher Licensure and Certification program for an eligible teacher who is taking noncredit-bearing seminars or workshops or credit-bearing coursework in order to attain standard certification in a state-approved critical need area.

This bill clarifies that Probation Before Judgment (PBJ) may be entered for multiple charges arising from a single arrest. Changes to the legislation also allow for a defendant to be permitted Probation Before Judgment more than once in a five year period so long as offenses are in different titles of the Code. For example, a defendant who was granted PBJ in 2017 for speeding (title 21) would be eligible for PBJ on a title 11 charge (e.g. bad check) or title 4 (e.g. underage consumption of alcohol) in 2019.

The minimum wage for employees who receive tips or gratuities has not changed since 1983, when the overall state minimum wage was $3.35 per hour. Tipped wage workers at that time were paid a percentage – 66.67% – of the minimum wage, which was $2.23 per hour. In 1989, the General Assembly changed the hourly wage to a flat $2.23 per hour, where it has remained since. Had the calculation been left unchanged, the tipped wage would have increased along with the minimum wage. Therefore, this bill ensures that employees who receive tips or gratuities also receive a minimum wage increase when other employees in the State receive a minimum wage increase.

This bill allows the Court to suspend an amount of the fine for uninsured driving if the defendant provides evidence that they have now secured insurance, demonstrating compliance with the law.

This Act, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries. PSYPACT has become operational as at least seven states have enacted PSYPACT legislation. Through PSYPACT, licensed psychologists are able to apply for and use Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) certificates, which include the E.Passport to practice telepsychology and the Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC) to conduct temporary in-person, face-to-face practice in PSYPACT states.

This Bill requires Podiatrists, Dentists, Doctors, Nurses and Optometrists who issue prescriptions to utilize electronic prescriptions except under certain exceptions.

This bill makes soccer the State Sport until June 30, 2020, then bicycling shall become the State Sport.