Sen. Robert Marshall

This bill amends merit compensation bargaining unit by allowing non-uniformed correctional employees, including correctional counselors, correctional administrative staff and similar occupations, to bargain over compensation. These correctional employees are presently the only correctional employees excluded from compensation bargaining.

ABLE accounts are special savings accounts established for certain persons with disabilities. This bill clarifies the treatment of funds in an ABLE account upon the death of a designated beneficiary. Specifically it prohibits State agencies or instrumentalities from clawing back from the ABLE account any funds it has expended on behalf of a designated beneficiary.

This Act authorizes the Family Court to appoint an education decision maker for abused, dependent, neglected, and delinquent children and children in the custody of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families under Chapter 25 of Title 13 to assist with education stability, discipline, and other education issues when a parent or guardian is unavailable or unable to make such decisions or consents to the appointment. This Act does not supplant the educational surrogate parent program under § 3132 of Title 14.

This bill requires the Division of Public Health and the Department of Education to collaborate with local school districts to find ways to help improve the indoor environment in schools. The bill also requires the Division of Public Health to establish an online portal on the DHSS website through which it will provide technical expertise and exchange information with local school districts in order to help improve the air quality and overall indoor environment in schools. The bill also requires the Department of Education to notify local school districts of the portal every year.

This Act updates the school stability law for children in the custody of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF) following passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESSA requires Delaware to eliminate the provision “awaiting foster care placement” under § 202(c), Title 14 in accordance with the federal McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act by December 10, 2017, and instead create a distinct provision regarding school stability for children in the custody of DSCYF. [42 U.S.C. §§ 11431 to 11435; ESEA section 1111(g)(1)(E)(i)-(iii)), 20 U.S.C. §6311(g)(1)(E)]. This Act clarifies that children in the custody of DSCYF remain entitled to attend their school of origin if it is in their best interests to do so, or are eligible for immediate enrollment in a new school. Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act take effect on the effective date of final regulations published in the Register of Regulations and promulgated under authority granted by § 202A(d) of Title 14, which is created by Section 2 of this Act.

This bill further consolidates animal welfare law enforcement roles and responsibilities under Title 16. The Office of Animal Welfare enforces all animal control and animal cruelty laws of this state. Upon the transfer of such responsibilities to the Office of Animal Welfare, officers were given greater enforcement authority than previously assigned under the Delaware State Constable Board. As such, animal welfare officers were removed from the Board’s oversight and the additional laws enforced previously as constables need to be added to the section of the code that defines officer authority, specifically when enforcing animal fighting laws and laws pertaining to dangerous animals. Other laws, like the dog control law, needed to be brought up to date with current Office of Animal Welfare authority. Additionally, the bill updates the Dangerous Dog Law to allow for more thorough investigation prior to civil filings, adds code provisions concerning dogs that repeatedly attack or threaten to attack people and animals in the community, creates steps for ensuring compliance to court rulings, and establishes a deadline for filing appeals after dangerous dog (with euthanasia) rulings.

This bill eliminates the use of an enrollment preference for students living within a 5-mile radius of a charter school. This change was supported by a majority vote of the Enrollment Preferences Task Force established by House Bill No. 90 of the 147th General Assembly. The Act will take effect immediately. For any charter school using the 5-mile preference at the time of enactment, the school is required to eliminate the preference through notification to the authorizer prior to the 2018-2019 school year. The bill allows a new preference for students located in the portion of the regular school district that is geographically contiguous with the location of the charter school.

This bill expands the list of persons eligible to participate in the Ada Leigh Soles Memorial Professional Librarian and Archivist Incentive Scholarship Program to include employees of non-public libraries in Delaware that join the Delaware Library Consortium.

This Act provides clearer language concerning security alarm business license and identification requirements for both businesses and individuals; gives vendors a clearer understanding of prohibited acts, discipline and penalties; and grants the Professional Licensing Section the ability to promulgate regulations, conduct inspections and additional powers needed to oversee this chapter.

This legislation amends the Delaware Code to establish the Department of Human Resources by transferring various divisions and other organizational units from the Office of Management and Budget to the newly established Department of Human Resources. The powers and duties of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources are aligned to reflect the transfers of the divisions and other organizational units of the newly established Department of Human Resources. Various sections of the Delaware Code are amended to reflect changes in titles and nomenclature. This bill also establishes Office of Women's Advancement and Advocacy. This bill sets forth that the Office of Women's Advancement and Advocacy will be a unit of the Department of Human Resources. The purpose of this Office is to promote the equality of women in all areas of society. Functions of the Office include fostering and facilitating collaborations between all facets of government and private businesses to eliminate gender-based bias and discriminatory practices, study and report on the status of women in the State, compile and analyze statistics, advise executive and legislative bodies on the effect of proposed legislation, make specific legislative proposals and submit a report to the Governor, Secretary of the Department of Human Resources and the General Assembly at the beginning of every General Assembly of the Office’s activities and recommendations. The bill establishes that the governing body of the Office is the Commission for Women comprised of 9 members. This bill provides that the Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy oversees the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame Committee and the Delaware Women’s Workforce Council. The Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame Committee shall have 7 members and the Delaware Women’s Workforce Council shall be comprised of 11 members. Delaware Women’s Workforce Council shall conduct a study of gender-based inequities in workplaces in Delaware, recommend policies to remove gender-based inequities in the workplace, and develop and publish best practices for employers to achieve gender equality.