Rep. Bill Bush

The Delaware Entertainment Job Act is intended to encourage jobs creation, artistic endeavors and investment in the film, television, esports and videogame industry in the State of Delaware, and the attendant benefits for the economy and job growth.  Delaware is one of the only states in the Mid-Atlantic and country without some form of tax credit at a time when production of original content for streaming and at theaters is at an all-time high. Thirty-three states have some sort of production incentive.   This legislation will provide for a thirty-percent, transferable tax credit for an investment in the state in a film, television, esports or videogame production. All qualified productions will be required to have an audit of their expenditures following the completion of production in the state before any credits will be awarded. Further, all qualified productions will be required to provide training through an internship program so that citizens may be able to gain a valuable trade. The credits will be administered by the Delaware Film, Television, and Digital Entertainment Office in cooperation with Department of Finance.

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 bill expands the Commissioner’s authority to deny policy form filings that encourage misrepresentation, contain any unjust, unfair or inequitable provisions, or where the benefits provided are unreasonable in relation to the premium charged, to other lines of insurance not limited to life and health policies. This bill also makes technical changes to conform to the requirements of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Dysautonomia is a group of medical conditions that result in a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for “automatic” bodily functions such as respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature control, and more. This Resolution proclaims October 2022 "Dysautonomia Awareness Month" in the State of Delaware.

This bill would allow insurance companies to invest in mortgages on long-term leaseholds in the jurisdictions approved by the Department of Insurance. It is the intent of the Department of Insurance that the first approved jurisdiction be the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom real estate typically is held not in fee simple (like the US) but long-term land leases. Thirty three other states including Maryland, New Jersey, and New York have similar statues.

This bill increases the amount of the tax credit for active members of volunteer fire, ambulance and rescue service companies and their auxiliaries from $500 to $1,000.

This bill removes the requirement that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget approve Title 18-related refunds of overpayments.

This bill requires that the Commissioner’s retention of any outside attorneys, actuaries, accountants, and other experts in the review of any application for merger or consolidation of a domestic insurer be at the expense of the party applying for such merger or consolidation. This bill aligns the payment of the Commissioner’s expenses for mergers and consolidations with other acquisitions under Chapter 50 of Title 18 of the Delaware Code. This bill also makes technical changes to conform to the requirements of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) was intended to create a State-wide and generally applicable standard for citizens’ access to public records and to further the accountability of government to the citizens of this State. To ensure consistency in the processing of requests for public records, and to ensure the goals of FOIA are being realized, this bill amends earlier-enacted provisions in the Delaware Insurance Code and Administrative Procedures Act related to public inspection of State agency documents to incorporate by reference the requirements of the later-enacted FOIA statute.

This Act exempts all Judicial Branch employees from the Executive Branch’s Merit System of Personnel Administration. By enacting a comprehensive set of Judicial Branch Personnel Rules and updating those rules to apply to all Judicial Branch employees, the Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court has exercised his constitutionally conferred authority to administer employment relations for the Judicial Branch. Superior Court v. State, Public Employment Relations Bd., 988 A.2d 429 (Del. 2010). This Act recognizes and respects the constitutional powers vested in the Chief Justice, as the administrative head of the Judicial Branch, to govern Judicial Branch employment relations. This Act will not curtail any bargained-for employment rights currently held by Judicial Branch employees covered by the Merit System. Instead, this Act will simplify matters of personnel administration for the Judicial Branch by having one consistent set of rules and processes apply equally to all Judicial Branch employees. This Act will become effective for all current and future Judicial Branch employees within six months from the date of enactment.