Rep. Bill Bush

Section 1 of this Act increases the standard deduction for personal income tax purposes of resident individuals and spouses of this State for tax years beginning after December 31, 2023. Section 3 of this Act increases the monetary filing thresholds resulting from the increases the standard deduction under Section 1. Sections 2 and 4 of this Act increase the refundable earned income tax credit to 7.5% of the corresponding federal earned income tax credit for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, and clarify that a previously enacted refundable earned income tax credit of 4.5% of the corresponding federal earned income tax credit took effect for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2021.

The state’s pre-application process for land use process, known as PLUS, was created 20 years ago and has served to increase coordination among state and local agencies. In doing so, it has fulfilled its intent of providing predictability and consistency for the development community, especially in the area of major projects. Given that success, this bill assists in expediting the process for economic development projects in the State of Delaware with some exemptions from the PLUS process. A project located in Investment Level 1 or 2 under the Strategies for State Policies and Spending that is consistent with local zoning and any local comprehensive plan that will create full-time jobs is exempt from the pre-application process unless required by the local government or requested by the applicant.

This Act expedites the issuance of a temporary entrance permit for commercial and economic development projects. The Act also makes technical changes to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This resolution honors USO Delaware for their important and inspiring work supporting military members and their families.

The General Assembly previously restricted municipal, town, and city police departments from operating speed enforcement equipment outside of its corporate limits. This Act completely restricts the ability of municipal, town, and city police departments to make arrests for speeding that occurs outside of the municipality, town, or city’s corporate limits. This Act also defines “corporate limits” for the purposes of 21 Del. C. § 701. This Act requires a greater-than-majority vote for passage because Article IX, § 1 of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to enact or amend general incorporation laws and special acts of incorporation, including municipal charters. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill provides that public sales of real estate may occur via an online auction process.

This is the first leg of an amendment to the Delaware Constitution to conserve, protect and maintain Delaware's natural resources, including its water, air, soil, flora, fauna, ecosystems and climate. This Amendment would create an inherent and inalienable right for all Delawareans to a clean and healthy environment. The Amendment would also declare the State, including all of its branches, agencies, and political subdivisions, as trustee of the State's natural resources. By enacting this amendment Delaware would join other States which have or are seeking similar provisions, in their respective Constitutions, creating the same inherent and inalienable rights for their citizens.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution congratulates the class 2022 Eagle Scouts for having attained the highest rank one can earn in the Boy Scouts of America.

This Act revises the membership of the State Employee Benefits Committee by removing the Delaware retiree appointed by the Governor and adding 2 members who are 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. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

House Bill No. 66 adds required information to annual reports issued by the Department of Education (Department), currently known as School Performance Data Reports, and which are available on the Department’s website as the Delaware Report Card. Like House Bill No. 66, House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 66 adds the following requirements: 1. That there is a link to these reports on both the home page of the Department’s website and the school choice website. 2. That these reports include a list of career pathways offered at a high school and must continue to include proficiency rates. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 66 reflects that the Department provides more education-related data than the annual reports required under existing law and that the Department has already made changes to their website in response to House Bill No. 66. The changes the Department has made makes education-related data more user friendly for the public, including links to the reports from more webpages and instructional videos to help people use the data. Specifically, House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 66 differs from House Bill No. 66 as follows: 1. Does not require the ability to generate side-by-side comparisons of the Education Profiles for multiple schools or school districts so that data for multiple entities can be reviewed at the same time. This requirement is being removed because changes have been made to make these comparisons more accessible and because of the cost required to generate the side-by-side comparisons. 2. Changes the term “Education Profile” to “education-related data” to reflect the broad range of data that the Department publishes, in addition to the annual reports required under existing State and federal law. 3. Does not delay implementation of the new requirements. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual which includes revisions to clarify repetitive, confusing, or contradictory language.