Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton

Reverse keyword court orders enable the government to obtain 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-keyword court orders 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 or reverse-keyword search.

This Substitute for House Bill No. 360 removes 1 floating holiday and adds 1 legal holiday that will rotate on a 3-year basis between Diwali, Eid ul-Fitr, and Yom Kippur, so that only one of those holidays will be a legal State holiday in any given year. The Act takes effect January 1, 2026.

This Act creates a new state-level Department of Veterans’ Affairs, headed by a cabinet-level Secretary appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Department will take over most of the duties currently handled by the Commission on Veterans’ Affairs and its staff. The Commission will continue in its current form, but under the Department of Veterans’ Affairs rather than the Department of State, and it will continue to advise on the duties of the Department and make recommendations regarding the welfare of veterans in the State. The Department will assume the assets and liabilities of the Commission and current staff of the Commission will become staff of the Department.

This bill provides important consumer protections for property insurance contracts by improving the reliability of mailed notifications of policy cancellation or renewal. Section 1 of this bill requires insurers to deliver any homeowners’ notices of cancellation or nonrenewal by USPS certified mail or USPS Intelligent Mail barcode. Further, whereas currently an insurer can cancel or non-renew a policy because of two non-weather-related claims over the lifetime of the policy, this legislation provides a reasonable claims lookback period for non-weather-related claims, as is already the case for claims in other portions of this subsection of the Code. Section 2 of this bill precludes an insurance carrier from refusing to renew a homeowners’ policy based on non-weather claims unless 2 or more claims occur within the 36-month period immediately preceding the expiration of the current policy period.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates November 2024 as Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month in Delaware to highlight the prevalence and challenges of conditions where the immune system attacks healthy body tissues. The resolution aims to educate the public about autoimmune diseases, which affect over 23.5 million Americans and include conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. By recognizing this month, the state intends to draw attention to the need for improved research funding, standardized diagnostic testing, and effective treatments for these chronic illnesses.

This Act moves the date of primary elections for statewide office, county office, and municipal office to the fourth Tuesday in April, which is the date of the presidential primary (in presidential election years). The dates for submitting and withdrawing notification of candidacy have been adjusted accordingly, as have the dates for notice of filing fees and background checks. Section 4 changes the “closed” period in which a voter is not allowed to change his or her political affiliation to match the 60-day limit in 15 Del. C. § 3189 for presidential primaries. This Act is applicable to all primary elections after December 31, 2025.

This Act requires the Department of Health and Social Services, in consultation with persons interested in the sale and pricing of prescription drugs as well as interested federal and state officials and agencies, to design and implement a wholesale prescription drug importation program for the benefit of, and that generates savings for, Delaware residents. The Act establishes requirements for the program including all of the following: (1) The Department must become or contract with a state wholesaler and seek federal certification and approval to import eligible prescription drugs. (2) The program must comply with federal regulations and import from Canadian suppliers only those eligible prescription drugs that do not violate patent laws, that are not controlled substances, and for which importation creates substantial cost savings. (3) The Department must ensure that eligible prescription drugs imported under the program are not distributed, dispensed, or sold outside of Delaware. (4) Before submitting the proposed program to the federal government for certification, the Department must submit the proposal to the General Assembly. (5) The program must have an audit procedure to ensure compliance with the Act’s requirements and requires submission of an annual report to the General Assembly to track the program’s progress.

Delaware relies on fees imposed as surcharges by the criminal legal system to generate revenue for government services. These criminal fees can be an unstable revenue generator, especially when there are recessions, pandemics, or other major economic events. This Act repeals three fees that currently fund videophone systems used by state and local agencies, personnel, equipment, and training expenses related to judicial branch security, and victim notification initiatives. The elimination of these fees was recommended by the Criminal Legal System Imposed Debt Study Group created by House Bill 244, as amended by House Amendment No 2, of the 151st General Assembly, in its December 7, 2023 report. The Criminal Legal System Imposed Debt Study Group also recommended replacement of lost revenue for affected agencies as needed with General Funds. In repealing these fees, the General Assembly intends to eliminate any outstanding balances owed on these fees.

This Act allows participation in the county and municipal police/firefighter pension plan by persons who are employed full time as either a paid firefighter or a paid emergency medical technician or both.

This resolution designates June 12, 2024, as “Loving Day” in the State of Delaware and reaffirms a commitment to the principles of equality, freedom, and justice for all. “Loving Day” contributes to building a society that values and respects the fundamental human rights of all individuals, regardless of their race or ethnicity.