This Act amends §1311, Title 17 of the Delaware Code to allow for the Delaware Department of Transportation to vacate an old right of way of a newly realigned section of road by resolution.
This Act increases the length of time for a valid temporary tag from 60 days to 90 days. This Act also adds a new provision requiring temporary tags be issued through a temporary tag system, approved by the Division of Motor Vehicles, to further reduce fraud in the issuance of temporary tags, unless the Division of Motor Vehicles determines the temporary tag issuer must continue using temporary registration plates.
This Act requires drivers to change lanes or reduce their speed while approaching a stationary vehicle displaying warning signals, including vehicle hazard warning lights, road flares, traffic cones, cautions signs, or any non-vehicular warning signs.
Currently, every adult operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle is required to have a helmet in their possession and wear eye protection while operating or riding a motorcycle and every person up to 19 years of age must wear a helmet and eye protection. This Act requires that everyone who obtains a new endorsement for a motorcycle on or after the effective date of this Act, or someone riding with the newly endorsed person, to wear a helmet and eye protection for the first 2 years after the newly endorsed person receives the endorsement. In 2022, Delaware experienced 10 motorcycle fatalities where the rider was not wearing a helmet. Over the last 5 years, among crashes involving a Delaware licensed motorcycle rider, 25% of fatal and serious injury crashes involved a rider in their first 2 years of having a motorcycle endorsement. Helmets and eye protection are already required for those operating with a temporary motorcycle instruction permit as required under § 2703 of Title 21 of the Delaware Code and no passengers are allowed. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia currently require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. According to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helmets are highly effective in protecting motorcycle riders’ heads in crashes and significantly reduce deaths and serious head injuries in crashes. This Act creates a civil penalty for violation of the helmet law, both the existing law and the law created by this Act.
Frequently, driver license applicants over the age of 18 require more than six (6) months practice time behind the wheel and to prepare for the skills exam. By providing the permit for a total of one (1) year, it will eliminate the need to request the extension and decreases the risk of them having to retake the knowledge exam if they do not request the extension prior to the six (6) months expiration of their permit, thus eliminating the need to start the process over. The limited window of one extension after the 6-month period is a frequent complaint from customers.
This Bill allows for the use of green lights on state owned and operated snow removal equipment and vehicles during winter weather operations. Studies have shown green lights are more visible to the traveling public during winter weather conditions.
This Act resolves ambiguities in the current law and confirms the ability of a spouse who owns real property as tenant by the entirety, acting alone, to convey that spouse’s interest in such real property to both spouses, as tenants by the entirety or otherwise, or to the other spouse.
This is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to protect our communities from gun violence. While there is a legal presumption that people arrested in Delaware will have an opportunity to post bail while awaiting trial, this right is not universal. The state constitution already allows individuals charged with capital offenses (murder) to be held without bail “when the proof is positive or the presumption great” that the defendant committed the crime. This proposed amendment bill would expand this provision to include the charge of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Crime data statistics reveal that the overwhelming majority of arrests for gun crimes involve individuals that have previously been arrested for other felony offenses. Carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony demonstrates a calculated willingness by the perpetrator to use a weapon in the furtherance of his or her criminal activity. By virtue of its availability, someone who makes the conscious choice to carry a gun while engaging in serious illicit acts is more likely to use it to threaten, intimidate, injure, or kill their victims. Allowing people that have been arrested for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony to be quickly released back into the community undermines the public faith in the criminal justice system and creates a climate of fear and intimidation. This proposed amendment would deny individuals who have demonstrated a willingness to use a gun in the commission of crimes against their fellow citizens an opportunity to commit additional offenses while awaiting adjudication on their pending charges.
This Act clarifies former HB 148 from the 151st General Assembly by defining the start and end date of the 4 year lookback period that determines if a municipality, governmental unit, the University of Delaware, or Delaware State University is subject to reimbursement for an employee’s training expenses when the employee is hired by another municipality, governmental unit, the University of Delaware, or Delaware State University.
This Concurrent Resolution encourages institutions, agencies, entities, and businesses that operate within Delaware, to purchase Delaware-grown food and value-added items. The Resolution also directs the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy to work with state agencies, higher education institutions, and other partners to prepare a report outlining current local procurement efforts to support a locally sourced food economy in Delaware, and to submit the report to the Governor and the members of the General Assembly by June 30, 2024. In addition, any updates on efforts must be submitted by December 31, 2024.
