Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton

This Act requires a referral to a school-based mental or behavioral health specialist for any student after their second unduplicated infraction resulting in out-of-school suspension in a semester. This Substitute bill clarifies that the referral is to a school-based mental or behavioral health specialist rather than the school-based problem-solving team and the referral occurs after 2 unduplicated disciplinary violations, in a semester, result in an out-of-school suspension rather than 2 out-of-school suspensions.

Senate Bill No. 80 codifies the current practice in Delaware of not requiring proof of citizenship or a specific immigration status on an application for a professional license. By affirmatively providing eligibility for professional licenses regardless of immigration status, Senate Bill No. 80 brings Delaware into compliance with a federal requirement in place since August 22, 1996, under 8 U.S.C.S. § 1621(d), and provides public notice of this policy. Senate Bill No. 80 also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 80 differs from Senate Bill No. 80 by also codifying the current practice of allowing an applicant for a professional license who does not have a social security number to submit instead, an attestation stating that if the applicant obtains a social security number in the future, the applicant will update their application with that social security number.

This Act establishes a Delaware Educator Apprenticeship Program to be developed by the Department of Education. The Department of Education will work with the Department of Labor to create a program that places aspiring teachers in paid positions in schools, while the teacher candidates complete the training and schooling necessary to become a Delaware credentialed teacher. This program will complement the Grow Your Own Educator Program and teacher residency programs to create a low-cost pathway for aspiring teachers to earn their teaching credentials and will address the educator shortage in Delaware. A pilot program will be created for the 2023-24 school year between 1 institute of higher education and 1 district or charter school. The program shall be expanded if interest and funding is available for the 2024-25 school year and thereafter.

This Act prohibits food establishments from providing consumers with ready-to-eat food or beverages in polystyrene foam containers or with single-service plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks, or sandwich picks. It also prohibits food establishments from providing single-service plastic straws, unless requested by a consumer. These restrictions take effect on July 1, 2025. This Act provides the following exemptions to the prohibitions on single-service plastic implements and polystyrene foam containers: 1. The definition of "polystyrene foam food service packaging" excludes coolers or ice chests used for the processing or shipping of seafood and containers used to contain, transport, or package raw, uncooked, or butchered meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, fruits, or vegetables. 2. The prohibition on plastic straws does not apply to patients or residents of hospitals or long-term care facilities and for plastic straws that are attached to pre-packaged goods, such as juice boxes. 3. The restriction on providing ready-to-eat food in polystyrene foam food service packaging does not apply to any of the following: • Fire companies. • Health-care providers that provide long-term, acute, and outpatient health-care services. • Nonprofit organizations, including religious institutions. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act permits an individual who is a reproductive health care services provider or employee to apply for participation in Delaware's Address Confidentiality Program, which allows participants to keep their actual address confidential by applying to the Department of Justice for a substitute address to which all mail will be delivered. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act directs the State’s current needle exchange program to take a needs-based approach. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act requires that each county reassess the value of real property in the county at least once every 5 years. The first 5-year period starts when the reassessment currently being conducted by each county is completed. This Act also makes revisions to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual and for consistency with current law and terminology as follows: 1. Because boards of assessment are not responsible for assessing property in any of the counties under current law, this Act repeals the penalty under § 8306 of Title 9 against a board of assessment that knowingly and wilfully assesses property at an incorrect value and corrects references to a county Department of Finance instead of the board of assessment in § 8307 of Title 9. 2. Requires that real property be assessed at its “present fair market value” instead of at its “true value in money.” Delaware courts have established that the “true value in money” for real property means its “present fair market value”, which is the terminology that is currently used.

There are thousands of casual/seasonal employees, who work for the State of Delaware. These hard-working individuals make up a critical part of the state government workforce and play a significant role in keeping our state running and delivering services to the people of Delaware. Since these individuals are not eligible for the state pension plan, many of them are eager to participate in a retirement savings plan so that they can save, invest, and build wealth for a secure and comfortable retirement. Currently, these individuals are not permitted to participate in the state’s 457(b) plan. This bill allows casual/seasonal employees the opportunity to participate in the 457(b) plan.

This Act requires that doula services be covered by Medicaid in Delaware by January 1, 2024. It follows up on HB 343 from the 151st General Assembly which required the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance to submit a plan for implementing this coverage, and draws on that completed report.

This Act creates an Electric Vehicle Rebate Program to incentivize the purchase and lease of new and used electric vehicles by Delaware residents. All-electric vehicles shall receive a rebate of no more than $2,500 and hybrid vehicles shall receive a rebate of no more than $1,000. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control shall develop standards, forms, and procedures necessary to implement this program. This program will be terminated if either of the following occurs and notice is given to the Registrar of Regulations and the General Assembly: (1) Available funds for the program will be exhausted within the following year; or (2) It is determined that the median cost of electric vehicles is comparable with the median cost of similar internal combustion engine vehicles