Rep. Eric Morrison

This Act creates a background special license plate for the United Way of Delaware Pride Council. A background special license plate supports a cause and is available for purchase by the public at large, including members of the organization. The numbers, letters, or both, assigned will be the same as the license plate assigned to the owner’s vehicle at the time of the application for the plate. This Act requires a greater-than-majority vote for passage because Article VIII, § 11 of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of 3/5 of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly when a new tax or license fee is imposed.

This Act creates the Delaware Artificial Intelligence ("AI") Commission. This Commission shall be tasked with making recommendations to the General Assembly and Department of Technology and Information on AI utilization and safety within the State of Delaware. The Commission shall additionally conduct an inventory of all Generative AI usage within Delaware's executive, legislative, and judicial agencies and identify high risk areas for the implementation of Generative AI. The Commission will terminate 10 years from enactment unless extended by the General Assembly.

This Act amends Section 2603 of Title 16 to require the Division of Public Health to provide the results of lead screenings or tests to school nurses and require contracts or computer upgrades to include lead results.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates April 2024 as "Financial Literacy Month" in Delaware to raise awareness about personal finance education. It highlights the importance of teaching financial skills in schools to help students make better decisions about money, college, and careers. The resolution calls for collaboration among educators, businesses, and community groups to promote financial knowledge across the state. While it does not create new laws or funding, it serves as a symbolic recognition of the need for improved financial education.

This Act amends Chapter 49 of Title 29 to enable the Office of Highway Safety to solicit and receive subscriptions, donations, and other funds from individuals or organizations for the purpose of implementing highway safety programs and projects that support the mission of reducing traffic fatalities and injuries in Delaware.

This Act is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution to prohibit the imposition of the death penalty. 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 when the General Assembly amends the Delaware Constitution.

This is a substitute for House Bill No. 326. Non-profit hospitals are granted tax-exempt status on the premise that they serve a vital role in promoting the health and well-being of the communities they serve. Community benefit spending is a means by which hospitals fulfill this obligation. Such spending includes activities like providing uncompensated care, supporting medical research, offering health education and prevention programs, subsidizing community clinics, and addressing social determinants of health. Like House Bill No. 326, this substitute bill requires Delaware’s non-profit hospitals to provide the state and public with an annual report outlining their community benefits spending, bringing Delaware in line with 31 other states, including all of Delaware’s neighboring states, that require reporting. Like House Bill No. 326, this substitute bill defines “community benefits program,” outlines the minimum contents that must be included in a community benefits activity report, and requires that the report be made available to the public. This substitute contains provisions allowing the report to be submitted electronically to State officials on an annual basis. It differs from the original bill in that the deadline for submitting the report is changed from January 31 of each year to 30 days after a hospital files a federal Form 990. This substitute also contains technical changes to reference and accord with appropriate law and regulations, and broadens the list of information that must be included in the community benefits report.

This Act creates a 10-year program to address the lack of affordable housing in Delaware by establishing statewide limitations on the amount that rent can be increased as follows: 1. When a rental agreement is renewed, the rent increase may not exceed 5% of the previous rent unless the 36-month average annual increase of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is greater than 5%. If the 36-month CPI-U is greater than 5%, the rent may be increased by no more than 7% of the previous rent. 2. For a new rental agreement, the amount rent can be increased from the previous rent is as follows: • If the amount of the previous rent is equal to or exceeds the Fair Market Rent (FMR), the rent may not exceed the previous rent plus the amount allowed for a rent increase for the renewal of a rental agreement. • If the amount of the previous rent plus 7% of the FMR equals or exceeds the FMR, the rent may not exceed the previous rent plus the amount allowed for a rent increase for the renewal of a rental agreement. • If the amount of the previous rent plus 7% of the FMR equals less than the FMR, the rent may not exceed the previous rent plus 7% of the FMR. The limitations on the amount of rent under this Act do not apply to any of the following: • Owner-occupied structures with 2 dwelling units. • Rental agreements when the amount of a tenant's rent is governed by federal regulations or guidelines. • A rental unit that has not been subject to a rental agreement during the previous 12-month period. This Act requires that the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) annually do all of the following: • Calculate and publish the 36-month CPI-U for New Castle County and for Kent and Sussex counties. • Publish the FMR for each county. • Create and publish an explanation of the limitations on the amount of rent under this Act. • Compile a report regarding the effectiveness of the limits on the amount of rent under this Act. This Act also requires that DSHA establish procedures to annually collect and analyze rental housing data in this State to measure the supply and availability of rental housing, including the amount of rent for rental units and other operating characteristics. Beginning January 1, 2026, landlords must annually provide specific data for rental units to DSHA. If a landlord refuses or fails to comply with the data reporting requirement, the penalty for the first occurrence is a warning and opportunity to comply and for subsequent violations, a civil penalty that does not exceed $150 for each occurrence. Finally, if House Bill No. 381 (152nd) is also enacted, this Act requires that Delaware Real Estate Commission’s comprehensive, statewide rights & responsibilities guide for landlords and tenants include information about requirements related to reporting rental unit data and the website where this data is published. Under existing law, this Act does not apply to leases of lots for manufactured homes under Ch. 70 of Title 25. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Concurrent Resolution supports the Redding Commission for Educational Equity’s recommendations to move immediately to support Christina School District’s City of Wilmington students and to plan for the eventual withdrawal of the Christina School District from the City of Wilmington.

This Act adds procedural requirements to meetings of the State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC), revises the membership of the SEBC, and requires that the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources inform State employees and retired State employees (eligible pensioners) about changes in benefits coverages affecting eligible pensioners who are receiving or eligible to receive retirement benefits under the state employees' pension plan, including proposed changes. This Act adds the following requirements to SEBC meetings: 1. If the SEBC or a subcommittee is holding a virtual meeting, the chair or vice-chair must attend at the anchor location. 2. The chair of a subcommittee must be a voting member of the SEBC. 3. The SEBC must approve a request for proposals to select a carrier or third-party administrator for the health care insurance plan for State employees or eligible pensioners during an open meeting and that the draft request for proposals must be included with the meeting notice and agenda. 4. Adds standard language for the SEBC regarding the conduct of open meetings by public bodies, including requirements for quorum and when a member designates another individual to attend a meeting. This Act revises the membership of the SEBC by doing all of the following: 1. Removes the Delaware retiree appointed by the Governor and adds 2 members who are Delaware residents eligible to receive health care insurance under Chapter 52 of Title 29 under a pension or retirement plan. The President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives each appoint 1 of these members. 2. Makes the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources a non-voting member of the Committee. 3. Changes the leadership of the SEBC so that only the Director of the Office of Management and Budget serves as chair and the vice-chair is elected annually by the members of the Committee. The vice-chair must be a voting member of the Committee and may not be a cabinet secretary or hold a position of equivalent rank in the executive branch. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act is known as the “Delaware State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC) Transparency and Accountability Act”.