This Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes April 18, 2023 as "National Line Worker Appreciation Day" in the State of Delaware.
This Concurrent Resolution designates April 26, 2023, as "4-H Day" in the State of Delaware and calls upon Delaware's citizens to recognize the many contributions of the State's 4-H programs
This Act is the second leg of a constitutional amendment that would update the minimum voting age in the Delaware Constitution from twenty-one years to eighteen years. The first leg of this constitutional amendment was Senate Bill No. 294 of the 151st General Assembly, which became Chapter 350 of Volume 83 of the Laws of Delaware. On passage of this second leg by this General Assembly this amendment will become part of the Delaware Constitution. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly when the General Assembly amends the Delaware Constitution.
This Concurrent Resolution recognizes April 23-29, 2023, as "Crime Victims' Rights Week" in the State of Delaware. The following websites provide more information on Crime Victims' Rights Week and the resources available to victims and survivors of crime: Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, at https://dcadv.org Delaware Victims' Rights Task Force, at https://delawarevictimservices.org.
This Senate Resolution respectfully requests the President of our United States of America posthumously pardon the Delaware Underground Railroad hero and abolitionist John Hunn.
This Concurrent Resolution observes April 2023, as the 2023 Month of the Military Child in the State of Delaware. This Resolution also recognizes the late Colonel Dr. Ronald G. Sarg (USAF, ret.) and his participation and commitment on the MIC3 (Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission) State Council.
This Act is the second leg of a constitutional amendment that would prohibit the regular session of the General Assembly from extending beyond 5:00 p.m. on the last day of June, unless the session is recalled by the Governor or the presiding officers of both Houses. This changes the time beyond which a regular session of the General Assembly may not extend from midnight on June 30 to 5:00 p.m., which changes the time at which the presiding officers of both Houses must act to recall the General Assembly into special session. This means the General Assembly no longer has to remain in session until midnight to recall itself into special session. The first leg of this constitutional amendment was House Bill 411 of the 151st General Assembly published in Chapter 324 of Volume 83 of the Laws of Delaware. On passage of this second leg by this General Assembly this amendment will become part of the Delaware Constitution. This Act does not change the date of or process for “final adjournment,” as defined in Opinion of the Justices, 175 A.2d 543, 545 (Del. 1961) (“‘[F]inal adjournment’ . . . means the adjournment sine die of the second regular session, or, in the absence of such adjournment, the extinguishment of the particular General Assembly by reason of expiration of the terms of office of the members.”). In addition, this Act contemplates that each House will continue its traditional practice of recessing to the call of the chair. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend the Delaware Constitution.
On June 23, 2022, in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022), the United States Supreme Court completely and dramatically changed the manner in which state-level gun laws are to be evaluated for constitutional sufficiency. Although not directly addressed in a definitive fashion the way other states' concealed carry laws were, Delaware's concealed carry law was mentioned by the Court in a manner signaling that certain flaws in our law must be immediately addressed. This Act is designed to address those issues raised by the Bruen decision in a manner meant to save Delaware's concealed carry law from a successful constitutional challenge. This Act addresses current constitutional deficiencies while maintaining public safety issues unique to Delaware. Section 20 of Article I of the Delaware Constitution guarantees that “a person has the right to keep and bear arms for defense of self, family home and state…”. Both the United States Supreme Court and the Delaware Supreme Court have recognized the right of self-defense to be fundamental and to have pre-dated the formation of our country. As of 2020, there were over 18,600,000 Americans with concealed carry permits and 24,400,000 adults living in states where no permit is required to carry a concealed firearm, which is a 420% increase in the number of adults living in states allowing the public carrying of a firearm since 1988. As of the beginning of 2021, there were 18 states where no permits were required to carry a concealed firearm, 25 states that were considered “shall issue” permit states, and 9 states that were considered “may issue” permit states. This Act brings Delaware law concerning the carrying of concealed deadly weapons into conformity with Section 20 of Article I of the Delaware Constitution by allowing a person who is 21 years of age or older and not a prohibited person under either Delaware law or the laws of the United States to carry a deadly weapon concealed on or about their person for the purpose of defending self, family, home, and State. In addition, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual and conforming amendments in other provisions of the Delaware Code to account for the removal of the requirement to obtain a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon.
This Act prohibits the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control from promulgating rules and regulations restricting the sale of fuel-powered cars, trucks, and SUVs in Delaware. This Act does not change the emission standards fuel-powered vehicles must currently meet. The provisions of this bill would be retroactive to March 1, 2023.
House Bill No. 34 requires school boards, including charter schools, to permit public comment on each agenda item presented for a vote at a school board meeting. The public comment period must take place before the school board vote on an agenda item. The school board may reasonably restrict the time, place, and manner of the public comment period. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 34 makes the following changes: 1. Clarifies that public comment is not required on procedural items on the agenda that require a vote such as a request to approve minutes or enter into executive session; 2. Removes language referring to open meetings; and 3. Makes other non-substantive changes to improve the bill’s clarity.
