Rep. Rich Collins

Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution designates Wednesday, June 12, 2024, as Women Veterans Day throughout the State of Delaware. The measure directly affects the state's official calendar and serves to acknowledge the historical contributions and sacrifices of women who have served in the U.S. military. By passing this concurrent resolution, the Delaware General Assembly formally recognizes the service of over 7,000 women veterans residing in the state. The text highlights key milestones in women's military service, such as the 1948 law that allowed women to serve as permanent regular members of the armed forces. This action is a commemorative gesture rather than a change to laws or government operations.

With 60% of U.S. households living paycheck to paycheck, 40% of Americans having less than $300 in savings, 33% of Americans having saved nothing for retirement, 95% of Americans having not saved enough for retirement, and 87% of American teens admitting not understanding their finances, financial literacy education in Delaware high schools is needed. This Act, which may be cited as “The Equity and Inclusion in Financial Literacy for All High School Students in Delaware Act”, requires high schools to provide, at a minimum, a half credit course on financial literacy. And, beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2025 through 2026 school year, successful completion of the course will be required to obtain a high school diploma. This Act requires the course to include instruction which meets the financial literacy standards for high school students adopted by the Department of Education and on all of the following financial literacy topics: (1) Introduction to behavioral economics, including enabling students to understand the impact of life experiences on personal money management decisions and habits. (2) Enabling students to understand the benefits of disciplined and regular savings to achieve financial goals and the power of compounding returns and interest. (3) Introduction to the why and how of different types of risk assessment and investing strategies that lead to sustainable and long-term financial success and a self-sufficient retirement, including introduction and explanation of the Delaware EARNS Program established under Chapter 38 of Title 19. (4) Enabling students to understand personal budgeting. (5) Enabling students to understand and manage credit and debt, including credit scores; types of credit to include credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, student loans, payday loans, and title loans; the benefits and methods of debt avoidance and repayment; and the rule of 72. (6) Enabling students to understand financial institutions, including banking services, brokerage services, account fees, and the difference between fiduciary and non-fiduciary advisors. (7) Enabling students to understand personal and payroll-related taxes and their impact on disposable income. (8) Enabling students to understand career options, including college vs. trade or technical school and entrepreneurship vs. employment. (9) Enabling students to understand philanthropy. (10) Insurance options.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution congratulates the class 2023 Eagle Scouts for having attained the highest rank one can earn in the Boy Scouts of America.

This Act prohibits gender transition surgery for children due to the potential for an irrevocable procedure occurring when there is a significant probability that children will come to identify with their biological gender. This Act prohibits the use of public funds and insurance coverage for gender transition surgery for children. This Act provides for enforcement of the Act as follows: (1) By providing for compensatory damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or any other appropriate relief. (2) By making a referral for or provision of gender transition procedures to a child unprofessional conduct for which a physician or healthcare professional making the referral for or provision of gender transition procedures to a child is subject to discipline by the appropriate licensing entity or disciplinary review board with jurisdiction over the physician or healthcare professional in this State.

This Act requires a health-care practitioner to offer a patient ultrasound imaging and auscultation of fetal heart tone services before terminating a pregnancy. The patient is free to choose not to view the ultrasound or listen to the auscultation of fetal heart tone. This Act is known as "The Woman's Right to Know Act."

Maddy summaryThis bill formally recognizes June 6, 2024, as the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy during World War II. It directly affects the state of Delaware by officially designating this date for commemoration and honoring the state's specific contributions and sacrifices, including veterans like Thomas Maloney and those who lost their lives. The resolution does not change laws or create new programs; instead, it serves as a symbolic gesture to acknowledge the historical significance of the event and the bravery of the Allied forces.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's ("JLOSC") review of the Delaware Health Resources Board, which this Act renames the Delaware Health Resources Advisory Board ("Advisory Board"). Based on the research, review, and discussion of both the JLOSC and a task force created to assist the JLOSC's research, JLOSC approved recommendations to change the Advisory Board into an advisory council and move the Advisory Board's decision-making authority to the Delaware Health Care Commission's executive director. In addition to those approved recommendations, this Act also implements JLOSC's approval to amend the Advisory Board's statute in the following ways: - Renames the certificate of public review process to the nationally-recognized name of "certificate of need." - Clarifies procedures and review considerations, including removing the Health Resources Management Plan ("Plan") and codifying relevant sections of the Plan. The Plan will be replaced by a statewide health-care facility utilization study, be conducted on a biennial basis, and include utilization information to process certificate of review applications. - Adjusting for inflation, updates the monetary threshold that triggers the requirement for a certificate of need application. The monetary threshold has not been updated since 2007. - Removes references to the Bureau of Health Planning and Resources Management, because staff support was transferred in 2012 to the Delaware Health Care Commission and DHSS, Office of the Secretary. This Act takes effect 6 months after the date of enactment. This Act does not apply to applications that are submitted before the enactment date of this Act.

This Act exempts an employee of a private school from the Safe School Zone law if the employee is designated by the employee’s private school employer to provide security for the school and the employee holds a Delaware concealed carry permit. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform to existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution designates the week of May 13-17, 2024, as "Charter Schools Week" in the State of Delaware and commends Delaware's public charter schools for their efforts in educating Delaware students.

This bill adds optometrists to those health care providers eligible for the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program.