Rep. Eric Morrison

This Act is companion legislation to Senate Bill 270. Currently, state code requires all school districts to match state- appropriated minor improvement funds with 40% local funds, regardless of a district’s ability to do so. This bill changes the requirements for the school district match for minor capital improvement funds to use the more equitable formula in place for major school construction projects.

The ability of insured dependents and other insured members to receive confidential sensitive health care services without the knowledge of the insured policyholder is greatly impeded through traditional billing processes utilized by health insurers. The most frequent form used is an explanation of benefit (EOB) sent to the policyholder after anyone covered under the policy receives care. The lack of confidentiality for sensitive health care services can often result in insured members simply avoiding necessary health care. This Act amends Titles 18, 29, and 31 to require both individual and group health carriers, including those providing coverage under the State health insurance plans, to use a common summary of payment form, developed by the Department of Insurance, for defined sensitive health care services. The Act prohibits the health carriers from specifying any defined sensitive health care services in the form, allows health carriers to address the form to the insured member, allows insured members to choose their preferred method of receiving said form, and precludes health carriers from sending the form when there is no payment liability for the visit or service provided. The Act also amends Title 31 to provide that any carrier providing health insurance to Medicaid recipients may not divulge defined sensitive health care services without the recipient’s express written or telephone recorded consent. The Department of Insurance is required to issue guidance to health insurers within 1 year of enactment. The Division of Public Health is required to establish a plan to educate health care providers and staff of hospitals, medical offices, community health centers and school-based health centers to promote compliance with this Act within 1 year of enactment.

The ability of insured dependents and other insured members to receive confidential sensitive health care services without the knowledge of the insured policyholder is greatly impeded through traditional billing processes utilized by health insurers. The most frequent form used is an explanation of benefit (EOB) sent to the policyholder after anyone covered under the policy receives care. The lack of confidentiality for sensitive health care services significantly impacts young adults between the ages of 18-26 years of age that are on their parents’ health insurance plans and adults covered as dependents under abusive spouse or family member’s plans. This results in dependents simply avoiding necessary health care for these sensitive health care services. This Act (1) requires health carriers to use a common summary of payment form, developed by the Department of Insurance, in collaboration with health insurers, for defined sensitive health care services; (2) prohibits the health carriers from specifying any defined sensitive health care services in the form; (3) allows health carriers to address the form to the insured member; (4) allows insured member to choose their preferred method of receiving said form; (5) allows the insured member to opt-out of receiving the form when there is no payment liability for the visit or service provided; (6) requires the Department of Insurance and Division of Public Health to educate health care providers and health carriers on the new law. The effective dates for guidance and education requirement are 3 and 6 months, respectively, after enactment.

This bill creates the Grants-In-Aid Committee. The Committee is a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives. The purpose of the Committee is to view applications for grants-in-aid and to develop and recommend to the Joint Finance Committee the grants-in-aid appropriations bill.

The Delaware Fair Housing Act and Residential Landlord-Tenant Code both prohibit discrimination based on source of income, which is defined as including rental payments from any government program, but both laws also provide that a landlord's nonparticipation in a government-sponsored rental assistance, voucher, or certificate system cannot be the basis for an administrative or judicial proceeding. This Act revises both the Delaware Fair Housing Act and Residential Landlord-Tenant Code to repeal the exception to discrimination based on source of income that allows a landlord to discriminate against tenants who participate in government-sponsored rental assistance programs. This exemption contributes to a lack of affordable housing in this State. There is currently a severe shortage of affordable housing for extremely low-income households in Delaware, with only 38 affordable rental units available for every 100 extremely low-income households. In addition, studies have shown that people who use government subsidies to move from high-poverty neighborhoods to communities with more opportunity have measurable health improvements and the children in these families earn more in adulthood than children who remain in high-poverty neighborhoods. At least 12 states and the District of Columbia have fair housing laws that protect against discrimination based on source of income that covers recipients of government subsidies. As of the end of 2019, half of all voucher households in the United States were protected by discrimination laws. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a charter issued to a municipal corporation.

In January 2021, of the 57 municipalities in this State, the following 12 municipalities had an agreement with the Department of Elections to use the State’s Voter Registration System to determine if a resident of the municipality is eligible to vote in a municipal election: Camden, Delaware City, Dover, Elsmere, Georgetown, Harrington, New Castle, Newark, Smyrna, Townsend, Wilmington, and Wyoming. Since January 2021, the General Assembly has adopted charter changes authorizing Laurel, Lewes, Milton, and Seaford to use the State’s Voter Registration System, and Milford adopted an ordinance to do so. The residents of the remaining municipalities are required to register with the municipality before voting in a municipal election. While some municipalities are exploring ending municipal voter registration requirements, and the General Assembly has authorized some to do so by changing their charter, this Act would do so for all municipalities as it relates to resident voters. A municipality would continue to be required to maintain municipal voter registration requirements for nonresident voters, as those voters would not be included in the State’s Voter Registration System. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This concurrent resolution recognizes June 21, 2022 as "Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler Day" in Delaware.

This resolution proclaims June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth Independence Day in Delaware and encourages the people of Delaware to reflect upon the significant roles and many contributions of African Americans and to celebrate this day with appropriate activities and events.

This Act requires a candidate’s political committee’s contribution and expense report, provided to the Department of Elections, to include the primary employer and job title of each person contributing to the committee. The Act requires the Department to review every committee report for any contribution or expense violation and to note the report, on the Department’s website, as either “submitted but not reviewed” or “reviewed and final”. The Act also requires the Department of Elections to provide a telephone number and online form for reporting alleged campaign financing violations with an option for the informant to provide their contact information to the Department. This Act also allows reporting parties who unintentionally receive or make a prohibited contribution to return or reimburse the contribution or pay the contribution to the State Treasurer. The Act also eliminates the ability of anyone who makes or accepts a prohibited campaign contribution from donating the money to a designated Title 30 charitable organization. The Act requires anyone who knowingly accepts an unlawful campaign contribution to pay the money to the State Treasurer for deposit to the General Fund. This Act also makes technical changes to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill increases the amount of realty transfer tax receipts transferred to the Delaware Farmland Preservation Fund to adjust for inflation. This funding amount has not been increased since 2005.