Rep. Tim Dukes

This act amends the Charter of the Town of Laurel to allow for tax abatements for a five year period on all improvements of properties, for all zoned properties, located within the Downtown Development District and establishing the condition that all town taxes, fees, etc., are current in order to qualify for such abatement.

Currently the law requires that any person convicted of a crime identified under the section identifying sexual offenses, or offenses relating to children and incompetents must submit to DNA testing. The DNA testing is compiled and stored in the state DNA database. As many of these individuals are prone to repeat offenses, this database has proven to be a useful crime solving tool. This bill will provide that any person arrested [vs convicted] for any of these specific crimes will now be subject to DNA testing. This bill will also require testing of any individual who is currently incarcerated and convicted of a violent felony under Title 11. Additional safeguards and protections have been included in the law to balance the state’s interest in solving crimes against the rights of the arrested individuals, as discussed and approved by the U.S. Supreme Court in Maryland v. King, 133 S. Ct. 1958 (U.S. 2013). This act shall become effective upon the receipt of a federal grant to the State pursuant to the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2012, or upon a specific annual appropriation in the Annual Appropriations Act.

This resolution encourages all Delaware departments and agencies to consider citizens with visual impairments when developing, maintaining, procuring, or using electronic information and technology.

This bill adds the Department of Correction, Bureau of Prisons and Bureau of Community Corrections' vehicles to the list of "authorized emergency vehicles" identified in Chapter 41 of Title 21 that are afforded certain privileges when responding to an emergency.

Subchapter III, Chapter 68, Title 7 of the Delaware Code (“Subchapter III”) was originally enacted in 1982. In 1996, President Clinton signed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1791 (“Bill Emerson Act”). The Bill Emerson Act preempts Subchapter III to the extent of any conflict, known as “partial preemption”. This Act makes Subchapter III consistent with the Bill Emerson Act by protecting a “gleaner” from civil or criminal liability as it relates to their donation of the gleaned food. Since the Bill Emerson Act only partially preempts state law on this subject, the State is free to provide greater protection than the Bill Emerson Act. Therefore, this Act does all of the following: 1. Extends to those who, in good faith, donate food to state agencies the same immunity from civil or criminal liability that is granted to those who, in good faith, donate food to nonprofit organizations. 2. Specifically includes within the definition of “food” both perishable food and wild game to makes it clear that food, in all of its forms, is covered by this Act. Thus, under this Act, those donating deer to the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Sportsmen Against Hunger program would be immune from civil or criminal liability as it relates to the donation. 3. Protects a person who, in good faith, provides services to a nonprofit organization or state agency related to the processing of wild game that is donated to a nonprofit organization or a state agency. The bill also clarifies the authority of Division of Public Health and Department of Agriculture relating to donated food.

This joint resolution rejects the report of the Delaware Compensation Commission in its entirety.

Designating February 6, 2017 as "Ronald Reagan Day" in Delaware

This bill increases the minimum age of required school attendance from 16 to the age of 17. The minimum age for truancy has also been increased accordingly.