Sen. Nicole Poore

This Act is enabling legislation that establishes the framework and requirements for a competitive mobile sports wagering market in Delaware under the authority of the Lottery Director. Sports wagering is now legal in 38 states, and 29 states have legalized mobile sports wagering using computers or other Internet-connected devices, including the neighboring states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Pursuant to this Act, the Lottery Director is authorized and directed to commence the Internet sports lottery by administering a solicitation and request for applications process to license qualified operators that have entered into a market access agreement with one of Delaware’s existing video lottery agents. Each video lottery agent is authorized to partner with a maximum of two prospective Internet sports lottery operators, and certain minimum requirements for applicants are established in the legislation as part of the criteria the Lottery Director will develop to evaluate proposals from applicants. The Lottery Director may disqualify applicants that fail to provide required information. Further, the Director is not required to license applicants that are deemed not to be qualified. Licensed Internet sports lottery operators are required to pay a $500,000 fee for an initial 5-year license to offer Internet sports lottery games in Delaware, and operators must return proceeds from their operations at a rate of 18% of the operator’s monthly adjusted gross sports lottery receipts. Licensed operators will also contribute 1.5% of their monthly adjusted gross sports lottery receipts to purses for allocation under the direction of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission or the Delaware Harness Racing Commission, as applicable. Licensed Internet sports lottery operators must also contribute additional purses to cover any deficit in the event total purse revenues in any fiscal year from all sports lottery and Internet sports lottery operations are less than the total purses paid in the last 12 months prior to the start of the Internet sports lottery. Licensing fees collected from operators are allocated to the General Fund. Proceeds returned to the State by Internet sports lottery are allocated first to the Lottery Office’s costs and administrative expenses. Thereafter, $400,000 or 3.5% of the proceeds returned to the State, whichever is greater, is allocated to DSAMH for programs for the treatment, education, and assistance of compulsive gamblers and problem gambling. The balance of the proceeds remaining are allocated to the State Lottery Fund for the benefit of the State. The Act provides the Lottery Director with authority to regulate and provide for the security and effective administration of the Internet sports lottery. Minimum duties of licensed Internet sport lottery operators are established in the Act, including, among other requirements: (i) employing a monitoring system to identify betting irregularities; (ii) reporting suspicious activity to the Director; (iii) maintaining sufficient cash balances and daily records of receipts; and (iv) keeping current in all payments and obligations to the Director. Violations are subject to enforcement under existing statutory provisions. The Act directs the Lottery Director to implement the Internet sports lottery as soon as reasonably possible, but not later than 150 days after enactment. The Lottery Director is authorized to issue conditional or probationary licenses during initial implementation of the Internet sports lottery and may issue emergency regulations to the extent necessary to implement the Act. Final regulations for the Internet sports lottery are to be promulgated within 1 year after enactment. Finally, Section 8 of the Act provides that the Act’s provisions do not apply to any vendor awarded a contract by the Lottery Office to provide an online casino and sports gaming platform for Delaware’s three licensed video lottery agents pursuant to that certain Request for Proposal issued by the Lottery Office on January 12, 2023, entitled “Internet Wagering System and Services Solution [FIN23001-IWSSS]” or any renewal or successor contract thereto. This Act expands the definition of “Sports lottery” to include amateur and electronic sporting events. This Act requires a 3/5 vote because it creates a fee.

This Act directs phased in unit funding for every school or district to have an athletic trainer. A school or district with less than 3 sports teams must submit an application to the Department of Education should it wish to receive partial funding for an athletic trainer position. The State Board of Education may review any objection to the Department’s decision.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution designates May 21, 2024, as "Wastewater Management and Drinking Water Management Professionals Day" in the State of Delaware.

This resolution recognizes the importance and expertise of Direct Support Professionals to the State of Delaware on the occasion of May 21st as “Direct Support Professional” Advocacy Day, co-sponsored by the Ability Network of Delaware A Team Delaware.

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as in-law units or garage apartments, are valuable and convenient forms of housing that can help to increase Delaware’s housing supply. In order to expand affordable housing opportunities, this Act requires local governments to permit the construction of ADUs within their jurisdictions without prohibitive barriers or onerous application or zoning requirements. This substitute differs from the original by removing requirements related to the size of the single-family dwelling, clarifying requirements related to additional parking, making exceptions for aesthetic requirements within historic districts, allowing water and sewer impact fees, and allowing for local regulations that do not otherwise violate this Act. This Act carries a 2/3 vote requirement as it may indirectly affect municipal charters.

This Act is a substitute for Senate Bill No. 2. Like Senate Bill No. 2 this Act does all of the following: (1) Creates an application process to obtain a handgun qualified purchaser permit to authorize the purchase of a handgun. While an applicant will incur costs related to fingerprinting and required training, a fee will not be charged to obtain the permit. A holder of a valid concealed carry permit, a qualified law-enforcement officer, and a qualified retired law-enforcement officer are not required to obtain or present a handgun qualified purchaser permit. (2) Prohibits a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, as well as unlicensed persons, from selling or transferring a handgun to an individual unless the individual has a handgun qualified purchaser permit. (3) Requires that an applicant complete a firearms training course within 5 years before the date of application, similar to what is required by Delaware’s concealed carry permit law. (4) Makes clear that § 904A of Title 24 is not intended to prohibit law-enforcement officials from keeping records. (5) Requires the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to develop and administer a firearms training voucher program for low-income residents to provide low-income residents with a voucher to cover the costs of the firearms training course required under Section 1 of this Act. (6) Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act differs from Senate Bill No. 2 as follows: (1) By increasing the time a handgun qualified purchaser permit is valid from 180 days to 1 year. (2) By requiring the Superior Court to schedule the de novo hearing within 15 days of the filing of the appeal rather than to hold the hearing within 21 days of the filing of the appeal. (3) By extending the implementation timeline of Sections 1 and 5 of this Act from a maximum of 6 months from the date of the Act’s enactment to a maximum of 18 months from the date of the Act’s enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May 16, 2024, as Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Day in Delaware to honor the organization's history and its mission of promoting scholarship, service, and social justice. The resolution acknowledges the sorority's founding principles and its extensive work in advocating for community upliftment, including initiatives focused on social, health, and economic equity. By officially recognizing this date, the legislation highlights the group's contributions and encourages awareness of its advocacy efforts within the state.

This resolution marks May 17, 2024, as the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case and honors the courage and fortitude of all who sparked the action leading to the Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart cases in Delaware. It also recognizes that the work against institutional racism must be continued by all Delawareans.

This Act removes assigned salary schedules established for child care licensing specialists and child care licensing supervisors, who are employed through the Department of Education. By removing this language, the Department of Education will be able to provide equitable compensation to early childhood personnel within the Office of Child Care Licensing. Attracting and retaining employees is critical to ensure the State’s child care licensing system is sufficiently staffed. Currently, the statute prevents child care licensing specialists and child care licensing supervisors from equitable pay within the Department of Education, leading to high rates of turnover and inter-Department transfer. A lack of staffing limits the ability of the State to investigate complaints being made against child care centers.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution that designates May 18, 2024, as Armed Forces Day in Delaware. It does not create new laws, change policies, or affect any specific groups of people beyond honoring military service members. The measure simply acknowledges the date to recognize the contributions of past and present armed forces personnel.