This bill creates a special license plate for Combat Veterans.
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 repeals § 2117, Title 31, which relates to an individual who, by reason of loss or impairment of eyesight or hearing, has a right to be accompanied by a “seeing eye dog,” also known as a “guide dog,” in public conveyances; hotels; lodging places; all places of accommodation, amusement, or resort; and other places to which the general public is invited. This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee’s review of the Division for the Visually Impaired, and furthers the goal of modernizing Chapter 21, Title 31. Section 2117 is antiquated and no longer appropriate to include in Chapter 21, Title 31. The rights of an individual who is accompanied by a service dog are adequately and more appropriately protected through Chapter 45, Title 6 (Equal Accommodations), Chapter 95, Title 16 (Delaware White Cane Law); and § 1917, Title 2 (Transportation Networks – No discrimination; accessibility).
This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee’s (“JLOSC”) review of the Division for the Visually Impaired. Under this Act, the Delaware Industries for the Blind (“DIB”) is repealed. DIB closed operations in March 2017 after experiencing several challenges, including all of the following: - Responding to the recession. - Reduction of resources permitted for state agencies to award employee recognition rewards. - Being classified as a sheltered workshop. - An ineffective and inefficient business model that ultimately resulted in cash flow issues. This Act also makes needed updates to § 9606, Title 16, which relates to the Blind Enterprise Program, a program under Delaware’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, authorized by the federal Randolph-Sheppard Act, and monitored by the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This Act terminates the Medical Marijuana Act Oversight Committee ("Committee"). After Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's ("JLOSC") thoroughly reviewed the Committee, JLOSC concluded that the Office of Medical Marijuana ("Office") oversees a functioning medical marijuana program without support from the Committee. Since October 15, 2015, the Committee has made only 2 recommendations to the Office relating to the medical marijuana program and has not made recommendations to the Governor or the General Assembly. Therefore, the Committee is not meeting a public need. The termination of the Committee is made under JLOSC's authority to terminate an agency under § 10214 of Title 29, and without opposition from the Committee, the Office, or the Department of Health and Social Services.
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 provides school-base physical therapists who have graduated from an accredited college or university with the highest level masters or doctorate degree, and who have achieved a passing score on the national physical therapy examination issued by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, with base salaries of Master Plus 30 or Doctorate, and provides the ability to move forward on the salary schedule for additional credits earned. Since 2015, a doctorate degree is required in order to sit for the national physical therapy examination for licensure.
This Act prohibits landlords from renting a dwelling unit that the landlord knows has a current bed bug infestation. This Act also obligates landlords to notify prospective tenants if an adjacent unit or units are currently infested with or are being treated for bed bugs. In addition, the Act sets forth the steps a landlord must take upon receiving notice of an actual or suspected bed bug infestation, including acknowledging the complaint, inspecting or obtaining investigatory services from a pest management professional, obtaining remedial services from a pest management professional, notifying tenants of inspection, remediation, notifying tenants of the pest management professional's determination regarding the infestation, and maintaining a written record of all complaints and control measures provided for a period of 2 years. Further, the Act provides that if notice of an actual or suspected bed bug infestation is provided within 60 days after occupancy or within 30 days of discovery of a bed bug infestation in an adjoining unit in the building, the landlord is responsible for the costs of investigating and remediating the infestation; if the notice is provided more than 60 days after occupancy and not within 30 days of discovery of a bed bug infestation in an adjoining unit, the landlord is responsible for investigating and remediating the infection, but the tenant shall share in the responsibility for the reasonable costs of the investigation and remediation.
This bill ensures equal access to diaper changing tables in restrooms in public buildings regardless of the gender for which the restroom is designed.
This Act is a result of the Joint Legislature Oversight and Sunset Committee's ("JLOSC") review of the Division for the Visually Impaired ("DVI") and represents the collaboration of several state agencies and other stakeholders. The General Assembly originally codified DVI in 1909 as the Delaware Commission for the Blind, Delaware’s first state agency. DVI was established in § 7929, Title 29 in 1978 and housed under the Department of Health and Social Services. The JLOSC review and subsequent task force on DVI revealed changes needed under Title 14, 29, and 31. This Act modernizes the portions of Titles 14, 29, and 31 relating to persons with blindness, including: - Updating sections language pertaining to the federal Vocational Rehabilitation (“VR”) program, which includes the Business Enterprise Program. DVI is an approved VR agency under the federal program. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is the federal agency who oversees DVI’s VR program. The RSA completes audits on DVI’s VR program and provides ongoing guidance and support. This Act makes amendments to areas identified in the JLOSC review process and by RSA during their recent audit. - Updating language in Title 14 relating to teacher certification. Teachers that DVI employs are certified teachers of the visually impaired and must meet all Department of Education (“DOE”) requirements. This area of law is extensively regulated under the DOE’s regulations relating to educational services to all children with disabilities, including blindness. See Regulation 925 of Title 14 of the Delaware Administrative Code. DVI worked in collaboration with the Department of Education on updates to Title 14 and removed outdated information on teacher certification. - Repealing Chapter 23, Title 31. Chapter 23 is outdated language that codified the duties of the previous entity, the Commission for the Blind. DVI does not provide the services under Chapter 23. - Correcting the title of the Council on the Blind in § 8210, Title 29. - Removing remaining references to the Commission on the Blind. - Replacing antiquated language with the appropriate phrase, “person with blindness” or "person with visual impairment." This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
