Sen. Bruce C. Ennis

This bill increases the minimum amount of property damage that triggers the mandatory reporting of a vehicular collision to police from $500 to $2,000. This bill also increases the minimum amount of property damage requiring police agencies to investigate from $1,000 to $2,000. This increase makes Delaware more consistent with other states and reflects the Legislature’s intention in 1997 to increase the amount annually by $100.

This bill provides that for correction officers and specified peace officers, the amount of ordinary service or disability pension benefits given to state employees shall also include the following: (1) Before January 1, 2022, 2.45% of his or her final average compensation multiplied by years of service above 25 years; (2) On January 1, 2022, 2.5% of his or her average compensation multiplied by the number of years of service up to 20 years, plus 3.5% of his or her average compensation multiplied by the number of years of service above 20 years. The increased multipliers that take effect on January 1, 2022, reflect increased costs, reduced benefits, and the need to recruit and retain qualified and competent correction officers and specified peace officers with a modernized pension benefit. In addition, this bill amends the employee contribution for all correction officers and specified peace officers to a uniform 7%. Specified peace officers means (1) Probation and parole officers employed by the Department of Correction; (2) Capitol Police officers; (3) Department of Natural Resources police officers; (4) University of Delaware Police; (5) State Fire Marshal officers; (6) Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement agents; (7) Justice of the Peace Court constables; and (8) Probation and parole officers in the Serious Juvenile Offender Unit and senior probation officers employed by the Division of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families.

This Act allows counties to use Realty Transfer Tax funds to pay expenses related to assessments and reassessments of real property and associated improvements. Further, it permits New Castle County to expand potential referees of tax assessment appeals beyond members of the Bar of the State of Delaware.

This Act expands eligibility for the Department of Correction's Education Assistance Fund beyond correctional officers to employees who hold a position at paygrade 15 or below and meet the other existing requirements. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including by creating a new Subchapter III of Chapter 89 of Title 29, because the Department of Correction's Education Assistance Fund is not related to the topic of Subchapter II.

This bill requires a landlord to provide 15 days written notice to a single room tenant prior to the termination of a rental agreement for any reason other than a material violation. This notice provision ensures that the tenant has time to find suitable housing prior to the termination of their current lease, while still permitting a landlord to quickly remove a tenant renting a single room within a house.

This bill would allow a court of competent jurisdiction to dismiss minor equipment violations upon a showing that repair(s) have been made. The sections include inoperative horn, missing rear-view mirror, improper window tint, and inoperable headlights, taillights, turn signal lights, and lighting on a motorcycle.

This Act updates the Delaware Code relating to the Delaware Board of Examiners of Psychologists by amending the qualifications for licensure for reciprocity applicants. Currently reciprocity applicants, even those who have practiced many years in another state without blemish, are required to possess the same type of psychology doctoral degree as a new graduate. This bill would grant the Board greater flexibility when evaluating reciprocity applicants by allowing the Board to use an applicant’s years of experience and training while licensed in another jurisdiction to compensate for any deficiencies in their education. If passed, the bill would align Delaware more closely with surrounding jurisdictions.

This amendment repeals Title 16 § 7204 in its entirety. This particular section prescribes a practice that is typically unused and handled through a traditional warrant process by charging a previous section of this chapter brought by a law enforcement officer. Additionally, the act of recovering a container possessed by someone other than the owner is more appropriately handled through the civil replevin process.

This Act amends the Delaware Energy Act to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in the State by creating more accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Specifically, this Act permits State agencies to charge a fee for public or employee use of electric vehicle supply equipment installed by the agency so long as the fees do not exceed the agency’s costs. “Costs” means the costs associated with electricity used by the agency’s electric vehicle supply equipment, installation of the agency’s electric vehicle supply equipment, and maintenance of the infrastructure and equipment of the agency’s electric vehicle supply equipment. This Act limits the locations where the charging infrastructure may be placed by the State to state-owned or state-leased properties used by state employees or visitors.

Section 1 of this bill adds additional financial reporting requirements for authorized insurers, which codifies current practices in accordance with the NAIC’s accounting practices and procedures manual and which was recommended by the NAIC as part of its most recent and ongoing accreditation review of the Department. Section 2 of this bill repeals Section 526A because the Department has determined that the circumstances that originally resulted in the enactment of Section 526A are no longer present in today’s market and, therefore, the additional reporting requirement is not necessary. Sections 3 and 4 of this bill make technical corrections recommended by the NAIC.