Sen. Dave Wilson

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.

This Act amends §137, Title 17 of the Delaware Code to allow for right of way acquisitions to commence upon the approval of final right of way plans on a parcel by parcel basis. This will improve project delivery by allowing acquisitions on finalized parcels to begin earlier. This Act also adds a requirement for notification to adjoining property owners when parcels with minimal independent utility are available for disposal. This Act amends the reporting date for properties being held for projects, properties deemed surplus, and for excess and unmarketable properties to be submitted by the end of the calendar year, which aligns it with other reporting requirements. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual including moving the series of purposes and means for acquiring property or property rights in paragraph § 137 (a)(1) to a list to make the meaning clearer and easier to cite to.

This Act permits multidisciplinary team members to share information freely amongst themselves to better protect the welfare of abused children in the State of Delaware. This Act also establishes a framework for parties in Family Court civil proceedings to have access to records created and maintained by a child advocacy center related to forensic interviews it conducts such that the Family Court can utilize those records to avoid retraumatizing children by having to interview them again as part of court proceedings.

Under current Chapter 27 of Title 10 the Board of Examiners of Constables is charged with appointing constables and certifying their commissions as well as monitoring their training and in-service. Currently, there is no member on the Board who acts as a representative for constables. This bill removes the constable statute from Title 10 by deleting Chapter 27 in its entirety, and adding Chapter 56, as it relates to Constables, to Title 24 of the Code. This bill renames the Board “Constable Board of Examiners”, expands the number of Board members from 5 to 7 and replaces the current representative from the American Society of Industrial Security with 3 constables, 1 specifically employed with a higher education institution and 1 specifically employed with a healthcare institution. This bill also clarifies the authority of the Board and the powers and duties of constables. The Act also brings the Board’s process under Delaware’s Administrative Procedures Act. The Act grandfathers all currently commissioned constables, except requiring their compliance with all firearms training, until their present term expires. The Act also amends Title 18 to reflect that commissioned constables, as in current law, remain eligible for line-of-duty death benefits under this new Chapter.

This Act amends the Charter of the City of Milford by allowing the City to adopt the assessments of real property conducted by Kent and Sussex County. Also, it states that if the value was obtained from either of the two counties, such information will be included in the public notice, and any objections as to the value of a property shall be taken to the county where the property is located.

The purpose of this chapter is to provide incentives for resident Delaware taxpayers to donate organs and bone marrow for transplantation and for Delaware employers to grant paid time off to employees who donate organs and bone marrow for transplantation. To that end, the Act allows Delaware taxpayers to claim a tax credit of up to $10,000 of unreimbursed medical expenses, travel expenses, lodging expenses, and lost wages that are related to a donation of an organ or bone marrow by the taxpayer or a dependent of the taxpayer. The Act also gives a tax credit to Delaware employers who provide employees who donate an organ or bone marrow with paid time off for the purpose of the transplantation, in the amount of 25% of the employee’s gross wages paid to the employee during the time missed from work, not including any amount paid to the person by the employer as traditional paid time off, for a period of up to 30 days of missed work for each donation. For qualified expenses used for a tax credit under the Act, to the extent otherwise allowable under Title 30, no tax deduction is allowed for either the donor or the employer. This Act is a substitute for and differs from Senate Bill 301 by providing that expenses related to a donation of organ or bone marrow incurred in the taxable year before the transplantation took place must be claimed in the year transplantation took place. It also provides that lost wages, for purposes of the individual tax credit, do not include any amounts paid to the person as traditional paid time off, as other than traditional paid time off, as worker's compensation benefits, or pursuant to Chapter 37 of Title 19. Similarly, gross wages, for purposes of the employer tax credit, do not include any amount paid to the person by the employer as traditional paid time off. The Act also provides implementation dates for the individual tax credit and the employer tax credit. Finally, the Act includes minor changes made for purposes of clarification.

This Act makes the use of an unauthorized vehicle registration plate a moving violation. This Act also clarifies penalties for using an unauthorized vehicle registration plate and that the use of an unauthorized vehicle registration plate is grounds for failing a vehicle inspection.

This Act renames the Blackbird State Forest’s Meadows Tract the “Ennis Tract” in honor of Senator Bruce C. Ennis. The Blackbird State Forest’s Meadows Tract covers 456 acres with open meadows, forested trails, and three ponds, and includes one of Delaware’s two forest education centers. The Meadows Tract is part of an ecologically critical zone connecting the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. The Blackbird State Forest is managed by the Department of Agriculture and is a popular destination for hiking, horseback riding, nature watching, camping, and hunting.

This act authorizes the application of funds from the Delaware School Safety and Security Fund, which is subject to available appropriations, for the retention of constables to be utilized by the LEAs.