Rep. Sean Lynn

This Act makes the following changes to election law: (1) Increases the contribution or expenditure threshold for requiring a candidate for a public office, including a municipal office, to form a candidate committee, or file a statement of organization, with the State Election Commissioner from $2,000 to $5,000. (2) Changes the deadline to file campaign finance reports from 4:30 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. and makes clear that the reports are required to be filed electronically using the Department of Elections’ campaign finance reporting system. (3) Provides a deadline by which a candidate must withdraw to be removed from the general election ballot. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. 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 municipal charter.

This Act does the following: (1) Permits the State Elections Commissioner (“Commissioner”) to issue a citation to a reporting party who fails to file or deliver a required campaign finance report. (2) Requires the Commissioner to publish the name of a candidate who without reasonable cause failed to file a campaign finance report or has been assessed an administrative penalty. (3) Requires a reporting party who fails to file or deliver a required campaign finance report to take training on the Department of Elections’ electronic campaign finance reporting system. (4) Caps the amount of an administrative penalty that may be assessed by the Commissioner for a tardy campaign finance report. (5) Permits the Commissioner to authorize a payment plan for, waive administrative penalties under $500 owed by, or negotiate the total amount of administrative penalty owed by a reporting party, if the reporting party has filed or corrected a tardy report. Section 4 of this Act makes this authority retroactive to fines imposed by the Commissioner before the effective date of the Act. (6) Permits an administrative penalty to be paid by a political committee or political action committee, instead of by a reporting party. The Act makes this authority retroactive to fines imposed by the Commissioner before the effective date of the Act. (7) Increases the amount of time the Reports Appeals Subcommittee has to meet following the filing of an appeal. (8) Increases the stipend a member of the Reports Appeals Subcommittee may receive for attending a meeting from $50 to $100 and the total yearly stipend a member may receive from $250 to $500. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill will allow all surviving spouses of persons killed in the course and scope of employment to receive the same level of death benefits as the surviving spouses of those persons defined as “covered persons” in Section 6601(2), Title 18 of the Delaware Code, in the event that the surviving spouse remarries. This expansion of the death benefit beyond the surviving spouses of those persons specified in Section 6601(2) will result in all surviving spouses, who decide to remarry, being treated equally under Delaware’s Workers’ Compensation laws.

This bill removes the training minimum wage and youth minimum wage, which takes effect 90 days after enactment.

Recent high-profile attacks on judges and their families are a constant reminder to those that choose public service that they may be doing so at the risk of their and their loved ones’ lives. The death of U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas’ son, Daniel Anderl, in New Jersey is tragically just one example – numerous instances of threatening and harassing behavior targeted at judicial officers rarely make prime time news but nonetheless impacts them. The rise and use of social media and online access to information has made it more difficult for judicial officers to maintain their privacy. This Act would allow judicial officers to make a written request that their personal information not be published and remain confidential. The Act takes effect 1 year after its enactment to allow for implementation.

This Act permits an officer to refer a juvenile who is in possession of alcohol or marijuana to the Juvenile Civil Citation Program rather than issue an assessment for a monetary civil penalty. Pursuant to the Juvenile Civil Citation Program, a juvenile may be referred to counseling, treatment, or other appropriate interventions. The bill also removes a provision requiring monetary marijuana penalties to double if unpaid within 90 days.

This Act amends the Delaware Energy Act to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in the State by creating more accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Specifically, this Act permits State agencies to charge a fee for public or employee use of electric vehicle supply equipment installed by the agency so long as the fees do not exceed the agency’s costs. “Costs” means the costs associated with electricity used by the agency’s electric vehicle supply equipment, installation of the agency’s electric vehicle supply equipment, and maintenance of the infrastructure and equipment of the agency’s electric vehicle supply equipment. This Act limits the locations where the charging infrastructure may be placed by the State to state-owned or state-leased properties used by state employees or visitors.

This Act changes the definition of tavern from an establishment with a special space and accommodation for sale of beer by the glass for consumption on the premises to an establishment with a special space and accommodation for sale of beer and wine in single servings. The Act also revises § 513 to allow any person in charge of a tavern to apply to the Commissioner for a license to purchase from an importer and to receive, keep and sell beer and wine instead of only beer. The beer and wine must be consumed on the premises where sold.

The Bill sets forth 8 factors a court must consider in determining a proposed relocation of a child for a period of 60 days or more in litigation involving custody or visitation. These factors include: (1) the nature, quality, extent, and duration of the child’s relationship with the individual proposing to relocate and with the non-relocating individuals, siblings and other significant persons in the child’s life; (2) the age, developmental stage, needs of the child, and the likely impact of the relocation on the child, taking into account any special needs of the child; (3) the feasibility of preserving the relationship between the non-relocating individual and the child; (4) the child’s preference; (5) any established patterns of the relocating individual to thwart or promote the relationship between the child and non-relocating individual; (6) whether the relocation will enhance the general quality of life of the child and relocating individual; (7) the reasons for requesting and opposing the relocation; and (8) any other factor affecting the best interests of the child.

If a community owner proposes a rent increase that exceeds the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers in the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City area (CPI-U), then the Delaware Manufactured Home relocation Authority is mandated to hold a final meeting between the community owner and the affected homeowners, and the homeowners’ association to discuss the reasons for the proposed increase. This Act allows the following to attend the final meeting: (1) the homeowners’ designee; (2) the homeowner’s attorney; (3) The attorney for the homeowners’ association; (4) A representative from the Delaware Manufactured Home Owners Association; and (5) Elected Delaware officials.