A 2019 study found the following: (1) Black women are 80% more likely to change their natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work. (2) Black women are 50% more likely to be sent home or know of another Black woman sent home from work because of her hair. (3) Black women are 30% more likely to be made aware of a formal workplace appearance policy. Delaware law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in a variety of settings. This Act makes clear that race also includes traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and a protective hairstyle, which includes braids, locks, and twists. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
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This Act requires public schools to begin their school year after Labor Day. There have been many economic impact reports done that show a positive impact from starting public schools after Labor Day. A report by the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association estimates that $369 million would be lost if schools were not required to start after Labor Day. This includes $104 million in wages and $21 million in state and local taxes. Maryland is considering similar legislation. A study of Maryland found that pushing the start of school back would generate $74.3 million in economic activity and $7.7 million in new state and local tax revenue. This Act takes effect for the 2020/2021 school year.
This bill changes the relationship between physicians and physician assistants from supervisory to collaborative, in recognition of the evolving role of physician assistants and reflecting the education, training, and experience required for licensing, which emphasizes the team-based practice model. The bill retains a 1:4 ratio of physician assistants to physicians, unless a regulation of the Board increases or decreases the number. This limit of 1:4 does not apply to physicians and physician assistants who practice in the same physical office or facility building, such as an emergency department. This bill increases the number of Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline members from 16 to 18, to include two physician assistant members appointed by the Regulatory Council for Physician Assistants. The bill authorizes physician assistants to participate as uncompensated volunteers in public or community events.
Many of the State’s waters do not meet water quality standards to support their designated uses, such as for drinking, swimming or supporting aquatic life. The Clean Water for Delaware Act establishes a framework for assessing needs and planning and implementing projects that support Delaware’s efforts to improve the quality of the State’s water supply and waterways. A Delaware Clean Water Trust account is created as a funding source for executing projects highlighted by this framework. The Trust account will have oversight from the Clean Water Trust Oversight Committee (the “Committee”). The Committee will draw upon recommendations from the Water Infrastructure Advisory Council, (WIAC), the county Conservation Districts’, experts in the effected Cabinet agencies and other public input with the goal of assisting municipal and county governments and others in implementing affordable water quality projects. The Committee is required to develop and publish an Annual Report and multi-year Strategic Plan for Clean Water with annual updates.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests that the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance study the extension of Medicaid coverage through the first year postpartum. Insurance coverage is a critical factor in determining women's access to affordable postpartum care and is a key strategy for reducing preventable maternal mortality and to close the disparity in the maternal mortaility rate among black women and women of other races.
This Act is a first leg of a constitutional amendment that would eliminate from the Delaware Constitution the limitations as to when an individual may vote by absentee ballot. This amendment to the Delaware Constitution provides that the General Assembly shall enact general laws providing the circumstances, rules, and procedures for absentee voting.
This House Concurrent Resolution honors and recognizes the leadership and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and urges all citizens of the First State to participate fittingly in the observance of “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” on January 20, 2020.
This Act makes children with disabilities who attend homeschools eligible to receive speech language pathology and audiology services in the same manner as students who attend private schools. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This bill clarifies that Delaware law enforcement may enter into agreements to provide mutual assistance to other jurisdictions.
This Act authorizes the State and its counties and municipalities to install and use vehicle height monitoring systems ("vehicle height monitoring system") to assist in the enforcement of applicable State, county, or municipal law regarding motor vehicle size. This Act is patterned after Maryland's vehicle height monitoring system law, under which the City of Baltimore recently implemented an ordinance to use vehicle height monitoring system. This Act does not create a new violation. It does establish the following: - Requirements for the Department of Transportation ("DelDOT") to conduct the initial identification of potential locations for vehicle height monitoring system and analysis of the appropriateness of each location. - Requirements for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security ("DSHS") to select a system vendor for use by the State, counties, and municipalities through an open competitive procurement process. - Requirements for DSHS to approve and install vehicle height monitoring systems on State-maintained roads. - Requirements for a county or municipality to approve and install vehicle height monitoring system on the roads maintained by the county or municipality. A county or municipality must adopt an ordinance before approving or installing a vehicle height monitoring system. - Requirements and maintenance of vehicle height monitoring system, including the designation of a vehicle height monitoring system technician to maintain a daily set-up log for each vehicle height monitoring system in use. Daily set-up logs may be admitted as evidence in any court proceeding for a violation captured by a vehicle height monitoring system. - That the owner of a motor vehicle captured by a vehicle height monitoring system is liable for the violation, unless the owner can demonstrate that someone else was in control or possession of the motor vehicle when the violation occurred. - A civil penalty under this section is limited to $250 for second violations, and $500 for third and subsequent violations. A first violation is subject only to a warning notice, with no fine. - Requirements for the information that must be included in a citation under this section and that a citation must be mailed within 30 days of the violation. - What must be included in an image recorded by a vehicle height monitoring system to use the image as evidence. - Limitations on the consequences of being liable under this section. A violation may not be used to assess points on the person's driver license, recorded on the person's driving record, treated as a parking violation, or considered in the provision of motor vehicle insurance coverage. - The State or a county or municipality may designate a contractor to administer and process citations under this section, but a contractor's fee may not be contingent on the number of citations issued or paid. - That this section does not apply to certain vehicles, such as emergency vehicles or school buses. Under this Act, the owner of a motor vehicle is liable for a violation that occurs while the owner uses the vehicle or an employee of the owner uses the vehicle for the purposes of employment. If, however, a driver other than an employee of the owner violates this Act while using the owner’s vehicle, a mechanism is in place to allow the owner to rebut the presumption that the owner was driving the vehicle at the time of the violation (see line 121).