Sen. Brian Pettyjohn

In 2009, New Hampshire was the first state to develop a statewide “Gun Shop Project,” reaching out to gun shops regarding the role they can play in suicide prevention. In the years since, at least 21 other states have implemented similar campaigns. This Act establishes the Delaware Gun Shop Project. The Gun Shop Project’s primary purpose is to develop, create, and provide suicide prevention education materials and training, to be made available for licensed deadly weapons dealers and consumers in Delaware The Delaware Suicide Prevention Coalition will oversee the Gun Shop Project and include the Gun Shop Project’s annual report in the Coalition’s annual report. The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, which staffs the Coalition, will staff the Gun Shop Project. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This act will be known as the Egregious Crimes Accountability Act. This Act revises Delaware's death penalty statute to ensure its compliance with the United States Constitution, as interpreted by the United State Supreme Court in Hurst v. Florida, and by the Delaware Supreme Court in Rauf v. State. In accord with those cases, this Act will require that before a death sentence can be imposed, a jury (unless the Defendant waives their right to one) must first determine unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt: that at least 1 statutory aggravating circumstance exists; which (if any) statutory and non-statutory aggravating circumstances alleged by the State exist; and whether all of the aggravating circumstances found to exist outweigh all of the mitigating circumstances found to exist. This Act also revises Delaware's death penalty statute to comply with the United State Supreme Court's holding in Hall v. Florida, interpreting standards set forth in Atkins v. Virginia. This Act adopts the term "intellectual disability" used by the United State Supreme Court. This Act recognizes developing trends in death penalty jurisprudence and the American Bar Association's Resolution 122A (2006), of August 8, 2006, by prohibiting the imposition of the death penalty upon a person who has been found "guilty, but mentally ill", as defined by Title 11 § 401. This Act also limits the statutory aggravating circumstances to four aggravating circumstances: 1. Mass Murder: The defendant’s course of conduct resulted in the deaths of 3 or more persons where the deaths occurred in a place of public use and the deaths are the probable consequence of the defendant’s conduct. The threshold number of 3 deaths is consistent with the federal definition. 28 U.S.C. § 530C. 2. Repeat Offender: The defendant was previously convicted of another murder. 3. Horribly Inhumane: The murder was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved torture, depravity of mind, use of an explosive device, weapon of mass destruction, or poison or the defendant used such means on the victim prior to murdering the victim. 4. Hate Crimes: The murder was committed for the purpose of committing a hate crime. Hate crime is defined in Title 11, § 1304.

This Act prohibits a seller from refusing to accept cash from a consumer making an in-person purchase of a good or service.

This bill permits the owner of a beer garden or food establishment to permit leashed dogs on licensed outdoor patios of food establishments and in beer gardens.

On November 3, 2015, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report titled "Elevated Rates of Urban Firearm Violence and Opportunities for Prevention – Wilmington, Delaware" in which the CDC made 2 major recommendations: (1) the creation and adoption of a robust risk assessment tool and (2) an integrated, statewide data collection system. To date, no meaningful action has been taken at any level to implement the CDC's recommendations. This Act adopts the CDC's recommendations and directs the pertinent State agencies to implement these recommendations.

This bill permits the administrative transfer of cases from an alderman’s court or mayor’s court to the Justice of the Peace Court when such a transfer is in the interests of justice. This transferability may be used in cases where an alderman must recuse themselves pursuant to the Code of Judicial Conduct or where it is impracticable for the case to be heard in alderman’s court. A transfer to the Justice of the Peace Court ensures that the receiving court is well prepared to handle the case due to the similarities in jurisdiction.

This Act enables Sussex County to establish ordinances, rules, and regulations regarding property maintenance and penalties for violations of said ordinances, rules, and regulations.

This bill creates a special license plate for World War II veterans.

This Act reconciles discrepancies between § 8705 of Title 9 of the Delaware Code and § 2903 of Title 25 of the Delaware Code, clarifying that all taxes assessed against real estate by Kent or Sussex Counties are governed by § 8705 of Title 9 and that the date on which Sussex County considers a tax delinquent is July 1. The Act also clarifies that the duration of a lien for municipal taxes for a municipalities in Kent and Sussex Counties is 10 years unless a period greater than 10 years is provided for in the municipality’s charter.

This Act amends the Fiscal Year 2020 Bond and Capital Improvements Act to (1) reauthorize Appoquinimink School District project local shares; (2) redistribute Community Reinvestment Funds from the African American Heritage Institute to the Peoples Settlement Association and the Redding House Foundation; (3) redistribute Municipal Infrastructure Funds to the Ocean View Historical Society and amend the project description for the Town of Laurel; (4) reprogram Department of Correction funding from the Central Violation of Probation Conversion from Level IV to Level V Design and Construction to the JTVCC Perimeter Fence, Motor Pool Building Conversion to a Level V Vocational Skills Training Center, and Maintenance and Restoration; (5) revise the amount used for a feasibility study at Delaware State University and add authorization for renovations of a community building; (6) authorize the Department of Correction to use Maintenance and Restoration funding for drug treatment space, a design and location study for Plummer Community Correction Center, and a conversion of the Central Violation of Probation center; (7) authorize the use of City of Wilmington Education Initiatives funding for recreational equipment at Kirkwood Park for use by Stubbs Elementary School; (8) authorize the State via the Complete Count Commission to enter into a contractual agreement with a non-profit for census activities in Kent and Sussex counties; (9) transfer a Delaware National Guard vehicle storage facility to the City of Harrington; (10) authorize for a transfer of property from the Delaware National Guard to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; (11) authorize a transfer of property from the Office of Management and Budget to the United States Government; (12) authorize additional reimbursements from the Community Transportation Fund; (13) authorizes the Department of Transportation to enter into contractual agreements with the Riverfront Development Corporation; (14) authorize the Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with the City of Wilmington and the Riverfront Development Corporation related to the redevelopment of South Market Street; (15) authorize the Brandywine School District to use minor capital improvement funds for site planning activities of the Charles W. Bush Early Education Center; (16) authorize the transfer of funds from the Office of Management and Budget to the Town of Laurel; and (17) allocate funding from the Delaware State Housing Authority to the Ministry of Caring.