Sen. Brian Pettyjohn

This Act clarifies what constitutes a sawmill under Delaware law and adds definitions related to agriculture and silviculture. This Act recognizes forest products as unadulterated materials and makes clear their importance to support a thriving industry that maintains sustainable and healthy forests. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act is the result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Council on Libraries ("Council"). This Act updates the Council's membership composition, defines quorum, and adds other standard provisions, including member compensation and removal. One of the members that this Act adds to the Council is the president of the Delaware Association of School Libraries. At one time, the Department of Education had an Education Associate for Libraries, Media, and Technology, but that position no longer exists. This Act provides that, should the Department of Education ever re-establish that position or a position similar to it, the re-established position shall take the place of the president of the Delaware Association of School Librarians as a member on the Council. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill adds workforce and affordable housing programs to the current list of realty transfer tax eligible expenditures for New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative and Oversight Committee's review of the Advisory Council on Walkability and Pedestrian Awareness ("Council"). This Act codifies the Council, which was first established under Governor Ruth Ann Minner's Executive Order No. 83 (2006), disbanded in 2008, and re-established under Governor Jack Markell's Executive Order No. 54 (2015). This Act also updates the Council's membership, purpose, and goals to reflect current practices and needs.

This is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to protect our communities from gun violence. While there is a legal presumption that people arrested in Delaware will have an opportunity to post bail while awaiting trial, this right is not universal. The state constitution already allows individuals charged with capital offenses (murder) to be held without bail “when the proof is positive or the presumption great” that the defendant committed the crime. This proposed amendment bill would expand this provision to include the charge of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Crime data statistics reveal that the overwhelming majority of arrests for gun crimes involve individuals that have previously been arrested for other felony offenses. Carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony demonstrates a calculated willingness by the perpetrator to use a weapon in the furtherance of his or her criminal activity. By virtue of its availability, someone who makes the conscious choice to carry a gun while engaging in serious illicit acts is more likely to use it to threaten, intimidate, injure, or kill their victims. Allowing people that have been arrested for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony to be quickly released back into the community undermines the public faith in the criminal justice system and creates a climate of fear and intimidation. This proposed amendment would deny individuals who have demonstrated a willingness to use a gun in the commission of crimes against their fellow citizens an opportunity to commit additional offenses while awaiting adjudication on their pending charges.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Governor's Commission on Community and Volunteer Services ("Commission"). This Act does the following: - Removes outdated language. - Incorporates federal requirements regarding Commission membership and duties. - Clarifies quorum. - Clarifies that the Delaware State Office of Volunteerism provides reasonable staff support to assist the Commission. - Codifies the duties of the Commission's Executive Director. In Delaware, the Administrator of the State Office of Volunteerism also serves as the Commission's Executive Director. The Executive Director is a nonvoting, ex-officio Commission member and administers staffing services for the Commission. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law with the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Council on Libraries. This Act repeals the Delaware Public Library Technology Assistance Act because Delaware Division of Libraries no longer issues technology grants.

This Act requires law-enforcement agencies, the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, and the Department of Justice to report suspected animal cruelty to the Office of Animal Welfare that is discovered while performing their responsibilities in child welfare cases. This Act also provides immunity to people who in good faith, report suspected animal cruelty. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act adds the following acts against a person's companion animal or service animal to the definition of abuse for protection from abuse proceedings: 1. Engaging in cruelty. 2. Inflicting physical injury. 3. Engaging in a course of alarming or distressing conduct. In addition, this Act provides specific authority for the Court to include provisions in a protection from abuse order that grant a petitioner exclusive care, custody, or control of a companion animal and order a petitioner to stay away from the companion animal. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act requires Family Court to award possession and provide for the care of companion animals when dividing marital property after considering the well-being of the companion animal. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.