This Act creates the Delaware Student Entrepreneur Program Fund. The primary purposes of the Act are as follows: (1) To attract and retain high-skilled, entrepreneurs, including immigrants to the United States, that graduated from Delaware higher education institutions (2) To help fund and develop new businesses in Delaware and create job opportunities in Delaware for Delaware’s young citizens in the areas of innovation and technology that are poised to grow in the 21st century economy; (3) To attract global entrepreneurs to Delaware higher education institutions, to grow businesses, create jobs in Delaware, and provide employment opportunities for the graduates from these institutions; and (4) To support entrepreneurship and innovation in Delaware.
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This Act authorizes the Family Court to interview a child outside the presence of the parties for the purpose of obtaining the child's testimony and ascertaining the truth of a matter asserted by a party to a Protection from Abuse proceeding. The Court may permit counsel to be present during the interview and ask the child questions. The Court may also permit a party who is not present for the interview to submit questions of fact for the Court to use in interviewing the child. Interviews under this Act must be made a part of the record.
This resolution directs the Delaware Emergency Medical Services Oversight Council and the Office of Emergency Medical Services to establish statewide metrics for emergency room wait times, with such information being publicly reported on a regular basis and available to emergency responders.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, on average, an incarcerated parent with a child support order has the potential to leave prison with nearly $20,000 in child support debt, having entered the system with around half that amount owed. This national statistic is consistent with Delaware, where the average child support debt for those currently incarcerated in Delaware is $10,000. Failing to recognize the inability to pay while incarcerated undermines the obligor's ability to make a successful transition and meet their obligations post-release, including the ability to pay child support. Delaware Family Court Rules will consider a term of incarceration that exceeds 1 year as evidence of a diminished earning capacity but the incarcerated parent needs to file a motion asking the Family Court for relief from the Child Support Order. The vast majority of incarcerated parents do not have independent income, resources, or assets with which to pay an obligation of child support consistent with their pre-incarceration circumstances. This Act automatically suspends child support orders when a defendant is incarcerated or involuntarily committed for over 180 days unless the defendant has the means to pay support while incarcerated or involuntarily committed, the defendant is incarcerated for a crime of domestic violence against the custodial relative or the supported child, or is incarcerated for failure to comply with an order to pay child support.
This Act requires children 2 years of age or younger to be secured in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system, until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designated by the car seat manufacturer or until the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. The law takes effect 1 year after its enactment into law to allow residents of this state sufficient time to become aware of the rear-facing car seat requirement.
Advance deposit wagering (“ADW”) has been the only growing segment of the pari-mutuel industry for more than a decade, is practiced nationwide especially in all of our surrounding states, and has been practiced by Delaware residents without authority or regulation, providing no contribution to the State’s racing industry. This Amendment provides for proceeds of advance deposit wagering that is conducted in the state to be used to support and improve the horse racing industry in Delaware by improving purses, supporting breeding, and ensuring that the industry is adequately regulated for the protection of all participants.
This Act imposes a tax on the first sale of opioids in the State at a rate of 10% of the purchase price. Prescription drugs used exclusively for the treatment of opioid addiction are excluded from the tax.
The continued existence and dissemination of a juvenile criminal record hampers an individual’s ability to become a successful and productive member of society. These criminal histories are a hindrance to employment, education, housing and credit. This act modifies Delaware’s discretionary expungement provisions to allow more children, and adults with only juvenile records, the ability to petition the Court for an expungement. An adult conviction automatically disqualifies someone from seeking an expungement to their juvenile record. These changes would allow the Court to consider an expungement where a person with a juvenile record has demonstrated rehabilitation. These provisions will enable a greater number of deserving youth, and adults with only juvenile records, the ability to move beyond their past and recognizes that most youth mature out of offending behavior. This legislation builds on a bill passed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers during the 148th General Assembly. Senate Bill 198 streamlined the process for an individual to expunge their juvenile record. This proposed expansion removes certain prohibitions that prevent an individual from ever seeking a discretionary expungement, streamlines the scenarios of which a person with a juvenile record is eligible to seek a discretionary expungement, and creates a fair catch-all provision for those seeking an expungement to their juvenile record in cases where they were found delinquent in multiple cases, but had not been adjudicated or convicted of another crime since. This allows for eligible juveniles, and adults with only juvenile records, to seek discretionary expungements, wherein the Court would decide whether or not a person had rehabilitated.
This resolution proclaims June 19, 2017, 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 removes the provisional license and re-establishes a 3 tiered licensure system. An initial license provides for two years for the initial licensee to obtain a passing score on an approved performance assessment. This Act provides for reciprocity for a state-created and approved performance assessment from another state or jurisdiction to meet the performance assessment requirement. This Act also eliminates the general knowledge exam for licensure which will result in a savings to the candidate of a range of $100 to $150. Additionally, this Act provides for a reimbursement of no less than $100 to a license holder who meets the performance assessment requirement and becomes employed in a Delaware public school. The Department will be responsible for training local district and school staff on the performance assessment. Additionally, the Department of Education leadership, including the Secretary of Education will be trained on the performance assessment. For enactment, any individual provided an initial license prior to the enactment date will not be subject to the requirement of obtaining a passing score on a performance assessment. Additionally, any individual provided a provisional license prior to the enactment date will be reissued an initial license and the 2 year requirement for meeting the performance assessment will become effective commencing on the new issue date. The remainder of the bill makes conforming changes to cross-references and license designations.