This Act creates a one-time $100 tax credit per unit for any business purchasing and placing an automatic external defibrillator in service in the State.
Despite the demonstrated value of primary care, access to primary care for Delawareans has become increasingly difficult as reimbursement dollars have failed to support an adequate infrastructure. The national average for primary care investment for a plan is between 6 and 8% of the total medical spend. Delaware’s average is between 3 and 4%. Some states such as Rhode Island and Oregon have recognized that market forces have prohibited any one plan in a competitive market to reallocate its spend and have stepped in legislatively to move the market to a 12% spend across insurance products. This legislation ensures adequate spending in primary care. First, by setting Medicare rates as a baseline for primary care reimbursement. This is a short term fix to stem additional primary care failure and consolidation in Delaware. It also requires that over a period of years that the overall spend of plans into primary care increase gradually to reach the 12% investment mark, but without increasing the total spend so that premiums rise as a result of this reallocation. This legislation extends to individual, group, State employee, and public assistance plans.
This Act removes § 617 Criminal Youth Gangs from the list of felonies designated as violent felonies and adds § 616 Gang Participation so that age is less of a factor in determining whether a violent felony was committed. In addition, this Act makes § 1103A Child Abuse in the Second Degree a violent felony. Further, this Act makes technical corrections by updating the violent felonies list to reflect § 1103B Child Abuse in the First Degree, which was formerly known as § 615 Assault by Abuse.
In the 149th General Assembly House Bill No. 64 amended Title 29, Section 5120 to insure that mothers who are full time state employees may have up to 6 weeks of unpaid leave following the newborn(s) discharge from the hospital even if their FMLA benefits have been exhausted. This bill clarifies that school district employees are entitled to the same unpaid leave.
This concurrent resolution thanks the Career and Technical Student Organizations for their presentation of geraniums. This concurrent resolution also extends the General Assembly's best wished for continued success to these exemplary students.
This bill sets the standards by which certain contractors and subcontractors are required, independently or through agreement with other organizations, to provide craft training for journeyman and apprentice levels through a bona fide program approved by and registered with the State of Delaware or the United States Department of Labor for projects in which workers shall be paid the prevailing wage under § 6960 of Title 29.
This Substitute Act incorporates House Bill No. 302, and also makes the following changes to House Bill No. 302: (1) Creates a new § 5403 of Title 16, which permits a mental health service provider, institution, agency, or hospital to disclose confidential communications to a law enforcement if the mental health service provider, institution, agency, or hospital concludes that the patient is dangerous to self or dangerous to others. (2) Adds definitions for “dangerous to others” and “dangerous to self” that are based on the definition in § 5001 of Title 16, but expand the temporal imminence of the individual’s actions. (3) Permits a law-enforcement officer to obtain an order of relinquishment from the Justice of the Peace Court if the officer has probable cause to believe that an individual who is the subject of a report from a mental health provider under § 5402 or § 5403 of Title 16 is dangerous to others or self and in possession of firearms or ammunition. This process is an expedited process, akin to obtaining a search or arrest warrant. Under this process, if the Justice of the Peace Court finds probable cause, it must order the relinquishment of firearms to law enforcement and may prohibit the individual from residing with others who possess firearms and grant permission for law enforcement to search for and seize firearms. An order from the Justice of the Peace Court is good for 60 days. If the Department of Justice does not file a petition in Superior Court within 60 days, the Justice of the Peace Court’s order is void and law enforcement must return the firearms. (4) Makes clear that if the Department of Justice files a petition in Superior Court, the individual has the right to a hearing before an order of relinquishment may be granted by the Superior Court. (5) Makes clear that the Justice of the Peace Court and the Superior Court may, as part of an order of relinquishment, order an individual to not reside with an individual who owns, possesses, or controls firearms. However, the Courts may not impair or limit the right to keep and bear arms of an individual who is not subject to an order. (6) Adds consistent relinquishment provisions to Title 16 so that if the Superior Court finds probable cause for an involuntary commitment hearing or orders an individual to outpatient treatment, the Court must also order the individual to relinquish firearms or ammunition. It also makes clear that an individual subject to the order of relinquishment may seek relief from the Relief from Disabilities Board. (7) Makes technical changes to correct a designation in § 1448C of Title 11 and to add “, institution, agency, or hospital” to § 5402(a)(1) of Title 16.
This bill allows real property tax itemized deductions to continue in Delaware notwithstanding recently enacted changes to federal income tax laws.
This Act corrects the language regarding veterans who received a general discharge under honorable conditions to be consistent with federal law and makes the surviving spouses of eligible veterans eligible for assistance from the Delaware Veterans Trust Fund.
This Bill amends the Board composition to provide that a slot may be filled by an audiologist or by a hearing aid dispenser which shall address the challenge in locating a hearing aid dispenser to serve on the Board. Further, this Bill adds a definition for the “practice of hearing aid dispensing” to set forth the appropriate scope of practice for hearing aid dispensers, based on their training and qualifications, in the interest of public protection. This Bill also strikes references to audiology and speech pathology aides because the Board does not license or regulate these professions. The requirements for licensure and license renewal, for speech/language pathologists and audiologists, have been amended in the interests of clarity. Upon application, a speech/language pathologist must submit proof of current certification from the American Speech and Hearing Association (“ASHA”) and audiologists must submit proof of either current ASHA certification or board certification from the American Board of Audiology. Reciprocity applicants for speech/language pathology and audiology must meet this same requirement. Also, at the time of the first renewal only, speech/language pathologists and audiologists must show the appropriate current certification. Finally, references to “excessive use or abuse of drugs” have been amended to be consistent with the definition of this term.
