Sen. Nicole Poore

This bill creates an Expanded Learning Opportunities Subcommittee as part of the Interagency Resource Management Committee (IRMC) to provide research, recommendations, and coordination regarding before and after school programs and summer learning opportunities for school-age children. The chairperson of the subcommittee is also added to the Interagency Resource Management Committee as a non-voting member. The creation of an Expanded Learning Opportunities Subcommittee was one of the primary recommendations of the Statewide Afterschool Initiative Task Force, which was created by the 148th General Assembly. The Task Force felt that the design and delivery of services would be enhanced by a standing body tasked with tracking developments across the country and in the State, with a view towards encouraging the development of programs and funding models that maximize positive outcomes.

The opioid epidemic spreading through Delaware has reached critical levels, with 210 fentanyl-related deaths in 2017. This legislation will update the schedule for Fentanyl analogues, consistent with language used by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Forensic Chemistry Unit at the Division of Forensic Science has confirmed the presence of these analogues in Delaware, but some of which are not currently scheduled under Title 16. This is directly related to continuous structural modifications of Fentanyl by illicit manufacturers. This legislation will close that gap and provide clarity to Title 16, consistent with federal law, by addressing ever-changing structural modifications being made in the illicit manufacture of Fentanyl. This legislative is aimed to curb the manufacture and distribution of illicit Fentanyl analogues and has no impact on the legal manufacture of Fentanyl for medical use.

This Act revises the membership of the Fund Committee for special animal welfare license plates by including the Executive Directors of organizations instead of the presidents of the organization’s board of directors and adds the Executive Director of the Brandywine Valley SPCA to the Fund Committee. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Bill establishes the pilotage rates for the Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

This Act allows Sussex County, by duly enacted ordinance, to impose a local lodging tax of no more than 3 percent of rent on rooms in a hotel, motel or tourist home located in the unincorporated areas of the County. Such funds may only be used in Sussex County for the capital and operating costs of beach nourishment, waterway dredging, economic development, tourism programs, recreational activities, and water quality and flood control projects.

This Act makes a technical correction to the charter of the New Castle City Municipal Services Commission. This changed language was passed in HB 344 of the 148th General Assembly, but, for technical reasons, it was not reflected in the Charter.

This Act adds one more member, a licensed health care professional knowledgeable in the screening and identification of domestic violence cases appointed by the Council, to the Fatal Incident Review Team of the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. The Act also updates language regarding victims of domestic violence to include survivors. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill requires the State food safety standards for restaurants to include a system for requiring healthy beverages to be offered as the default beverage with a combination children’s meal inclusive of a drink, sold together at a unit price. It does not prohibit the restaurant’s ability to sell, or a customer’s ability to choose, a substitute or alternative beverage as-requested by a customer. This effectively creates an “opt in” instead of an “opt out” for many sugar-rich drink choices for children. This bill also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act makes clear that a retail licensee may only purchase authorized product from an importer, also known as wholesaler, except that a retail licensee may purchase up to 20 gallons a day from a premises licensed to sell for off-premises consumption. This Act also clarifies that off-premises licensees may sell untapped kegs for off-premises consumption.

This Act modernizes the process and requirements for issuance of liquor licenses for off premises consumption. The current process and requirements do not consider population growth. Minimum distance requirements are enhanced while increases in population growth will now be considered to arrive at a safety and convenience balance. This Act also grandfathers existing licensees into the current process.