Rep. Lyndon Yearick

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the week of September 15 to 21, 2024, as "Adult Education and Family Literacy Week" throughout Delaware. It is a ceremonial resolution that does not change laws or allocate funding but instead formally recognizes the importance of state programs that help adults improve their literacy and job skills. The measure highlights how these educational efforts support families and community engagement without imposing new requirements or costs.

This resolution recognizes June 2024, as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month and urges all Delawareans to wear purple to help spread awareness of Alzheimer's and all other dementias.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes July 18, 2024, as the 50th anniversary of the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program in the State of Delaware.

Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution is a formal request from the State of Delaware asking Maryland to permit the sale of certified Delaware sod within its borders. The bill does not directly change Maryland laws or affect Maryland residents; instead, it serves as a diplomatic appeal to the Maryland government to restore trade reciprocity for Delaware agricultural producers. The text argues that Maryland's current refusal to certify Delaware sod has caused significant financial losses for farmers in both states and urges the removal of these trade barriers. Ultimately, the measure aims to facilitate cross-state commerce by encouraging Maryland officials to allow Delaware-grown sod to be sold legally in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a symbolic resolution that designates June 26, 2024, as "Staff Appreciation Day" within the Delaware House of Representatives. It directly affects the legislative staff members who support the institution's daily operations, acknowledging their essential role in managing the legislative process. The text highlights the staff's dedication, multitasking abilities, and contributions during challenging times, including the COVID-19 pandemic. By passing this resolution, the House formally expresses gratitude for the hard work and commitment of its employees without changing any laws or policies.

The primary purpose of this Act is to remove the requirement that a public school district employee who donates leave to another employee must donate 2 days of leave for the other employee to receive 1 day of leave. Further, this Act repeals Chapter 187 of Volume 81 of the Laws of Delaware ("this law"). Adopted in 2017, this law was designed to provide full-time employees of the State, including employees of school districts, with the ability to donate leave to other employees for use in connection with the birth or adoption of a child under 6 years of age. This law has never taken effect as the law does not take effect until the Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") receives a letter from the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") stating that the tax treatment of the expansion of the donated leave program contemplated by this law will receive the same tax treatment as Delaware’s current donated leave program. OMB has not requested this letter from the IRS because, based on OMB's research, OMB does not believe this law would receive the same tax treatment by the IRS and because the General Assembly subsequently enacted Chapter 285 of Volume 81 of the Laws of Delaware, which provides 12 weeks of paid leave upon the birth or adoption of a child 6 years of age or younger for those continuously employed for at least 1 year as full-time employees of this State, including employees of school districts. Sections 1 and 2 of this Act re-enact portions of Chapter 187 of Volume 81 of the Laws of Delaware that would have also applied to the existing donated leave program for catastrophic illness. Specifically these provisions are intended to do the following: (1) Clarify how much leave employees of a public school district who do not accrue annual leave must use before being eligible for donated leave. (2) Clarify the interaction between donated leave and leave available under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including transferring existing definitions to a central definition section and transferring provisions that are substantive law out of defined terms. This Act is named in honor of Christopher Chujoy, a special education instructional aide in the Red Clay Consolidated School District. Mr. Chujoy was diagnosed in August 2022 with stage IV cancer. Mr. Chujoy used up all of his available sick time before his passing and his situation raised the issue that is the primary purpose of this Act.

The governance of this State relies on the qualifications and performance of the members of the Governor’s cabinet. The General Assembly finds that the confirmation process is an important step to ensure the qualifications and performance of the Governor’s cabinet. This Act is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to require each holdover member of the Governor’s cabinet to be reconfirmed by the Senate at the beginning of each term of the Governor. This Act defines members of the Governor’s cabinet as the principal officer of an executive department made subject to § 10 of Article III of the Delaware Constitution by an Act of the General Assembly. Senate Bill No. 16, as introduced, implements this Act by making the principal officer of the following executive departments subject to this constitutional requirement: (1) The Department of Education. (2) The Department of Military Affairs / Delaware National Guard. (3) The Office of Management and Budget. (4) The Department of Health and Social Services. (5) The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. (6) The Department of Agriculture. (7) The Department of Safety and Homeland Security. (8) The Department of Finance. (9) The Department of Transportation. (10) The Department of Labor. (11) The Delaware State Housing Authority. (12) The Department of State. (13) The Department of Correction. (14) The Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. (15) The Department of Technology and Information. (16) The Department of Human Resources. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend the Delaware Constitution. Amending the Delaware Constitution requires not only the passing of the changes in this Act, but also passage of the same changes after the next general election by the next General Assembly. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act creates a new state-level Department of Veterans’ Affairs, headed by a cabinet-level Secretary appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Department will take over most of the duties currently handled by the Commission on Veterans’ Affairs and its staff. The Commission will continue in its current form, but under the Department of Veterans’ Affairs rather than the Department of State, and it will continue to advise on the duties of the Department and make recommendations regarding the welfare of veterans in the State. The Department will assume the assets and liabilities of the Commission and current staff of the Commission will become staff of the Department.

This resolution calls on the General Assembly to encourage the Delaware medical community to educate the citizens of Delaware about the forced organ harvesting that occurs in China, in the event they decide to travel to China for an expedited transplant.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates October 6, 2024, as "National Coaches Day" throughout the State of Delaware to honor sports coaches. It serves as a formal recognition of the role coaches play in teaching life skills and motivating athletes, rather than creating new laws or funding. The resolution applies to all sports coaches within the state and marks the date as an official observance.