Rep. Ed Osienski

This bill provides for election day registration for presidential primary, primary, special, and general elections whereas currently the deadline is the fourth Saturday prior to the date of the election. Moreover, same day registration at polling places will be permitted with submission of an application along with a copy of a current and valid government issued photo identification or a current government document displaying the name and address of the person registering to vote. The effective date is January 1, 2022.

This bill amends provisions in Title 26 of the Delaware Code, Section 1014, related to rules and regulations promulgated by the Public Service Commission, municipal electric companies, and electric cooperatives on the subject of net energy metering. The bill accomplishes the following: - Increases the cap at which electric utilities may elect not to provide net metering services from the current 5% to 8%. - Provides that net metering rules and regulations must consider the reliability, safety, and capacity of the affected electric distribution system. - Clarifies the definition of an “Excess kWh Credit." - Defines the value to be assigned to “Excess kWh Credits” and provides that the value does not include charges for “Societal benefits programs.” - Defines the term “Societal benefits program” to include the Green Energy Fund, the Low Income Fund, and other charges which benefit the public at large. - Provides that Commission-regulated electric utilities, municipal electric companies, and electric cooperatives shall not reimburse, credit, or otherwise remunerate net energy metering customers for any “Excess kWh Credits” at the end of the annualized billing period, and that “Excess kWh Credits” will revert to the electric distribution company at the end of the annualized billing period. - Provides that Section 1014(e)(1) does not apply to community-owned energy generating facilities. - Provides that, if a net metering customer abandons the property where the energy-generating equipment is located, the equipment may remain connected to the electric distribution system unless the equipment presents a risk to the safety and reliability of the system. - Includes provisions for adding new meters to maintain system safety and reliability, and caps the cost for such meters for residential customers at $200.

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 Act adds a member of the Delaware Bar, designated by the Elder Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association, to the Delaware Guardianship Commission. This Act also makes technical changes to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution that would require legislators to remain domiciled in the districts they represent for the entirety of their term of office. Subsection (b) of this Act does not apply to sitting legislators who desire to change their residence to within the newly established district lines in order to continue to represent their district in the upcoming election. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend the Delaware Constitution.

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 bill makes a person under the age of 21 prohibited from purchasing, owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm or ammunition of a firearm except under limited circumstances. Those circumstances are if the person is 18 years of age or older and an active member of the Armed Forces, a qualified law-enforcement officer, or has a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon. The Act does not apply to shotguns and shotgun ammunition, muzzle-loading rifles, and deadly weapons other than firearms, thus allowing those persons who are 18 to 21 years of age to purchase, own, control or possess such deadly weapons. Persons under the age of 21 may possess or control a firearm for the purpose of engaging in lawful hunting, instruction, sporting, or recreational activity while under the direct supervision of a person 21 year of age or older. This bill also makes changes to § 1445 of Title 11—Unlawfully dealing with a dangerous weapon to be consistent with the changes made to § 1448 of Title 11. In addition, the bill only criminalizes the control of a weapon which by compressed air or by spring discharges or projects a pellet, slug, or bullet by a person who is not a qualified law enforcement officer if such pellet, slug, or bullet is larger than .177 caliber shot.

This Bill is the Fiscal Year 2023 Bond and Capital Improvements Act.

The Delaware Lethal Firearms Safety Act of 2022 prohibits the manufacture, sale, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, receipt, possession, or transport of assault weapons in Delaware, subject to certain exceptions. One exception is that the Act does not prohibit the possession and transport of firearms that were lawfully possessed or purchased before the effective date of this Act; although for these firearms there are certain restrictions relating to their possession and transport after the effective date of this Act. There are also exceptions for law-enforcement and military personnel in the course of their official duties, and a limited exception for retired law-enforcement personnel. Finally, a person lawfully in possession of an assault weapon prior to the passage of this Act may lawfully transfer the weapon to a member of their family, through inheritance or otherwise. The Act directs the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to develop a procedure for issuance of a voluntary certificate of possession to show lawful possession of an assault weapon prior to the effective date of the Act. A gun owner is not required to apply for the certificate, but a certificate provides a conclusive means of proving lawful possession prior to the passage of this Act. The Department is not permitted to retain copies of issued certificates or identifying information of any applicant. The Act also adds a violation of this Act to the list of predicate crimes for possession of a weapon in a school zone.

This Act establishes a Public Education Compensation Committee for the purpose of reviewing Delaware's educator compensation structure and its ability to compete with regional school districts, Delaware's private business sector, and other governmental agencies and to develop recommendations to establish a new compensation structure for educators in Delaware. The Committee will consist of 13 members, including the Secretary of the Department of Education, the Controller General, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Executive Director of the Delaware State Education Association, the Executive Director of the Delaware Association of School Administrators, an educator, two school financial officers, one school superintendent, a charter school administrator, a representative of the Office of the Governor, and the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees. The Act requires the Committee to present its recommendations to the Governor no later than November 15, 2023, so that the recommendations may be included in the Governor's recommended budget for fiscal year 2025.