Sen. Bryan Townsend

The Justice of the Peace Court actively discourages the acceptance of warrants from citizens, yet the statute as it currently stands may be interpreted to allow such warrants. This Act abolishes citizen warrants in the Justice of the Peace Court and creates a requirement that all warrants must issue only by information sworn to by a law-enforcement officer.

This Act would add designation that the holder is a veteran to the Delaware Driver License or Identification Card upon request. Adding designation that the holder is a veteran to a Driver License or Identification Card would eliminate the need for a veteran to carry a separate card or official discharge forms in order to prove their service.

This bill makes needed changes to the Lyme Disease Oversight Board by adding 2 members including an infectious disease epidemiologist and a licensed veterinarian or entomology specialist.

This bill permits health-care providers who are licensed in a state other than Delaware to deliver health-care services by telehealth and telemedicine only if a health-care provider-patient relationship has been established in accordance with § 6003 of Title 24.

This Act provides an automatic satisfaction of a mortgage 10 years after the maturity date as stated in the mortgage or any recorded extension of the mortgage or, in the absence of a stated maturity date, 40 years after the recording of the mortgage or any extension of the mortgage. This Act also reduces the time after which an attorney may file a certificate of satisfaction under § 2123 of Title 25 of the Delaware Code to 10 years after the maturity date and 40 years after the recording of a mortgage.

This Substitute Act requires all new and renewing rental agreements for a lot in a manufactured home community to contain the following: (1) For a manufactured home community that is supplied by potable water from a private water system, a provision requiring the landlord to have the water tested in compliance with the requirements applicable to a community water system and report the findings to those required for a community water system, including tenants, the Division of Public Health, and the Department of Justice’s Manufactured Housing Ombudsperson. (2) For a manufactured home community with an on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system, a provision requiring the landlord to have the system emptied, serviced, and inspected at least every 3 years and to report the findings to tenants, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Department of Justice’s Manufactured Housing Ombudsperson, and the applicable county or municipal government. This Substitute Act differs from the original Act by better aligning the requirements for testing of a manufactured home community’s private water system and for emptying, servicing, and inspection of a community’s on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems to existing State regulatory authority.

This Act makes necessary updates to Delaware Code provisions codifying procedures related to the General Assembly to bring these provisions into compliance with current practice and to make technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act makes the following substantive changes to these provisions: (1) In Section 8, repeals a procedure that, after the enactment of the Delaware Constitution of 1897, is no longer part of the legislative process. And, in Sections 17, 18, and 19 makes conforming repeals. (2) In Section 9, updates the amount of additional compensation paid to members of the General Assembly who are elected to leadership positions or appointed to serve on a joint committee, consistent with the amounts authorized under the most recent report of the Compensation Commission. (3) In Section 10, updates the amount of the stipend paid to members of the General Assembly consistent with the amount authorized under the most recent report of the Compensation Commission. (4) In Section 13, updates the process for appointing a bill clerk for the Senate and House of Representatives and the duties of the bill clerk. (5) In Section 14, removes the Passed Bill Committee (“Committee”), which has not existed since the mid-1960s. The Committee’s duties related to management and tracking of passed and enacted legislation are reassigned to the Secretary of the Senate and Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, who have these duties currently. The Committee’s duties related to engrossing legislation are reassigned to the Division of Research, which has these duties currently. The Division is authorized to correct manifest clerical, typographical, and grammatical errors discovered in the engrossment process and required to proofread the engrossment before release to ensure an accurate engrossment of the amendment to the legislation. (6) In Section 15 and 16, changes references to “print” or “printing” to “publish” or “publication” in recognition of 21st Century methods of distributing information. (7) In Section 22, replaces the requirement that a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution be approved by two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly with a requirement that it be approved by a simple majority vote. The two-third vote requirement is unconstitutional under the Delaware Constitution because it conflicts with Section 10 of Article II of the Delaware Constitution, which provides for the passage of legislation by the concurrence of a majority of members elected to each house. The General Assembly cannot alter the requirement of a majority vote without an amendment to the Delaware Constitution. See Section 512 of Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure (2020).

This Act clarifies that of the 6 members of the Delaware Native Species Commission (Commission) that represent stakeholder commercial interests, such as land development, farming, and business, no more than 2 members can represent the same commercial interest. This legislation is necessary for the Commission to have the relevant expertise and perspectives for its work.

This Act renames the Claymont Regional Transportation at First State Crossing in Claymont, Delaware as the "Harris B. McDowell, III Transportation Center" after Senator Harris B. McDowell, III, the longest serving member of the Delaware General Assembly.

Presently there is no licensure mechanism in place in Delaware for elevator mechanics. This Act creates a new chapter in Title 24 and establishes a regulatory State Board of Elevator Mechanics consisting of 5 members appointed by the Governor including 1 public member, 1 member representing the elevator industry,1 member primarily engaged in elevator repair or maintenance, 1 representing elevator inspection, consulting or engineering firms, and 1 representing a labor organization for elevator mechanics and apprentices. The Board has the responsibility of formulating rules and regulations consistent with the APA under Title 29. The Board, under its rules and regulations, will establish standards for licensure, as a master elevator mechanic and journeyman elevator mechanic and continuing education requirements. The Act sets forth grounds for discipline including suspension and revocation of a license. A finding that an individual has been found guilty of performing elevator mechanical work without a license, or under false pretense of being licensed, is a misdemeanor subject to monetary fines by the justice of the Peace court. There is a grandfather exception for individuals that have master electrical special elevator licenses at the time of enactment. The implementation date is the earlier of 6 months after enactment or when the Registrar of Regulations has been provided notice that rules and regulations have been promulgated.