This Act creates a new chapter in Title 21 pertaining to the towing of vehicles without the consent of the owner or operator. It makes violations of the chapter an unlawful practice enforceable by the Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice. The Act creates the following requirements for the towing and storage of vehicles without the consent of the owner or operator: Photographic evidence must be taken to document the unauthorized parking of a vehicle before it can be towed. Tow companies and storage facilities must publicly display their rates. Towing and storage rates must be reasonable, with reasonableness calculated in relation to the fees imposed by the companies for consensual towing and storage or based on average rates in the county. A maximum total towing and storage rate of $500 is imposed. Tow companies must decouple or drop vehicles that have not been removed from parking areas if the owner returns before removal. The drop fee may not be more than 50% of the tow fee. Storage facilities must be open or accessible to the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week, and tow companies must make reasonable accommodations to redeem vehicles after-hours. Individuals must be allowed to retrieve at no cost personal belongings from vehicles held in storage. Tow companies and storage facilities must accept credit cards. Where a tow is completed in violation of the chapter, the owner or operator is entitled to both reimbursement of the tow and storage fees as well as damages incurred to retrieve an illegally towed vehicle. Tow companies are liable for property damage sustained due to a non-consensual tow or storage. Tow companies may not patrol for illegally parked cars. Tow companies may not pay or give other benefits to obtain information about cars parked without authorization.
Sponsored bills
This resolution designates May 16, 2024, as "Global Accessibility Awareness Day" in the State of Delaware, affirms the importance of making the internet and technology accessible to all, and encourages expanded efforts to keep Delaware residents properly informed about the need for equitable digital access and inclusion.
Reverse-location court orders and reverse keyword court orders enable the government to obtain location data or technology search data without identifying any specific person as to which there is probable cause to believe they have committed or will imminently commit a crime. The profusion of electronic devices and apps in recent years has allowed recordation of numerous details of citizen’s everyday lives, that the government should not be permitted to collect and review at will. Such general searches allow the government to sweep in personal information about hundreds or thousands of people who are not suspected of having committed any crime. These searches are an invasion of privacy, have a potentially chilling effect on civil liberties, and sidestep requirements for individualized suspicion that are otherwise required for a lawful search. This Act would prohibit law enforcement and courts from requesting, issuing, or enforcing reverse-location court orders, reverse-keyword court orders, reverse-location requests and reverse keyword requests. It also creates a private right of action for an individual whose personal information was obtained in violation of this Act and requires the suppression of evidence derived from an unlawful reverse-location or reverse-keyword search.
Maddy summaryThis bill is a symbolic resolution that designates May 11, 2024, as "National Train Day" within the State of Delaware. It directly affects the state's residents by encouraging them to acknowledge and celebrate the historical and ongoing significance of rail transportation. The measure includes background information on the history of railroads in the United States and Delaware, highlighting specific local heritage sites and current services provided by Amtrak and CSX. By passing this resolution, the state legislature formally recognizes the importance of rail networks without imposing any new laws, regulations, or financial obligations.
This Act updates the Clean Indoor Air Act to include the burning of marijuana or the use of marijuana in an electronic smoking device as a prohibited activity in all the same locations where smoking a tobacco product or using an electronic smoking device is prohibited. Further, the Act updates and clarifies some of the definitions used in this chapter. Several of the defined terms are no longer used in the substantive portions of the chapter because they pertained to exceptions to the Clean Indoor Air Act that were legislatively removed. This bill also makes technical changes to conform to the requirements of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. Finally, the exception on smoking prohibitions for vapor establishments is repealed. The exception for tobacco businesses was removed from the Clean Indoor Air Act in 2002, and this repeal will treat the businesses more alike. In addition, the definition of vapor establishment had proved difficult for agencies to understand and implement properly. This Act is effective January 1, 2025.
This bill names the Newark Regional Transportation Center after United States Senator Thomas R. Carper.
This resolution designates May 6-12 as "National Nurses Week" in Delaware.
This Act amends the Newark Charter by authorizing the City of Newark to levy and collect a per student, per semester tax on Colleges and Universities that host in person classes which are located within the boundaries of the City of Newark. This tax applies to all colleges and universities including any organizations that are considered subdivisions of the State of Delaware or are otherwise tax exempt, including but not limited to the University of Delaware. It also limits the available payment methods to restrict the use of credit cards for the payment of the aforementioned tax.
This Act makes technical corrections to remove racist language and provisions from the Delaware Code. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual and the current responsibilities of Delaware agencies.
This Concurrent Resolution dedicates the month of April 2024 as "Alcohol Awareness Month" in the State of Delaware.