Rep. Paul Baumbach

This bill provides State funding to kindergarten through third grade for basic special education. State funding already occurs for intensive and complex special education during these grades. Currently the basic special education funding runs from fourth through twelfth grade. This bill is an effort to promote earlier identification and assistance for basic special education needs which should then mitigate costs over the long term. Pursuant to its terms, funding for K-3 special education will be phased in gradually over 4 years.

This Concurrent Resolution proclaims the month of April 2019 as “Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month” in the State of Delaware.

This Act permits wine producers holding a valid license within this State or another state to obtain a license and ship wine directly to Delaware consumers so long as it is done through a common carrier with a carrier permit. This Act requires that wine producers pay the taxes normally due for wines; limits the amount of wine that a direct shipper of wine can sell to a single household to 3 9-liter cases per year; and limits the total amount of wine that the direct shipper of wine can ship directly to Delaware consumers to 1,800 9-liter cases annually. This Act requires the signature of a person 21 years of age or older before delivery of the wine and to receive training regarding how to deliver wine responsibly.

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes November 2019, as Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month in Delaware.

The use of genetic information in disqualifying coverage for non-health insurance products, such as disability insurance and long term care insurance, is a gap in the protection provided by the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. As a result, patients who seek genetic counseling to determine whether they may be at risk for certain diseases, such as genetic testing for the BRCA gene to determine predisposition for breast and prostate cancers, are cautioned that a positive result could result in the person being denied insurance. The potential denial of insurance has a chilling effect on patients seeking genetic testing, blocking them from being proactive by putting in place a preventative care plan that would reduce the likelihood of them getting the specific disease in the future. This Act follows the lead of other states and prohibits discrimination based upon genetic characteristics and information in the issuance or renewal of disability and long term care insurance. This Act also provides a notice requirement if an insurer requires a genetic test. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act would add a fee schedule specific to requests made by insurance companies to the Department of Insurance for expedited service of charter documents, copies of documents on file in the Department, certification and affixing of official seals, and certified copies of insurer certificates of authority or of any license issued under Title 18. This Act also requires the Insurance Commissioner to promulgate a rule to establish the timeframe during which requests must be received in order to receive expedited service. The Department of Insurance’s Bureau of Examination, Rehabilitation and Guaranty routinely processes expedited requests to satisfy insurers’ timelines. Currently, the Department of Insurance receives approximately 20 such requests per month. Implementing this fee schedule would help prioritize these kinds of requests, while adding an additional revenue to the General Fund.

This bill gives school and local government property taxes priority collection status over other claimant agencies when the collection is made by tax intercept reducing refunds.

This Act changes the program for distributing payments to county seats with tax-exempt properties owned by the State. Section 8318 of Title 29 directs compensatory payments for exempt properties owned by the State to the county seats, Wilmington, Dover, and Georgetown. This Act authorizes these compensatory payments to any municipality with a population over 25,000 and more than 20% tax exempt property owned by the State. This Act also adjusts the formula under which distributions to municipalities are made. This Act improves the formulas to enable the elimination of specific dollar earmarks and to treat all higher education institutions in the State equally. The Act increases the compensatory payments under this section to each of the 3 county seats, and adds Newark to the program at a much lower payment than the payment provided to the county seats. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act increases the penalties for parking in an area designated for a vehicle being used by an individual with a disability. For a subsequent offense, this Act increases the potential minimum imprisonment from 10 days to 15 days and the potential maximum imprisonment from 30 days to 35 days. The offenses subject to the increased penalty are included without change in lines 4 through 27 to add context. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act authorizes a county or municipality to treat an unpaid lien as a tax lien against the property subject to the lien and collect the lien in the same manner as other tax liens, including a proceeding under a writ of monition. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.