This resolution recognizes June 2024, as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month and urges all Delawareans to wear purple to help spread awareness of Alzheimer's and all other dementias.
This Act repeals the option of providing health care insurance to state pensioners under Medicare part C, known as a Medicare Advantage Plan. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act is known as "The Delaware Medicare Supplement Selection Act".
The primary purpose of this Act is to remove the requirement that a public school district employee who donates leave to another employee must donate 2 days of leave for the other employee to receive 1 day of leave. Further, this Act repeals Chapter 187 of Volume 81 of the Laws of Delaware ("this law"). Adopted in 2017, this law was designed to provide full-time employees of the State, including employees of school districts, with the ability to donate leave to other employees for use in connection with the birth or adoption of a child under 6 years of age. This law has never taken effect as the law does not take effect until the Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") receives a letter from the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") stating that the tax treatment of the expansion of the donated leave program contemplated by this law will receive the same tax treatment as Delaware’s current donated leave program. OMB has not requested this letter from the IRS because, based on OMB's research, OMB does not believe this law would receive the same tax treatment by the IRS and because the General Assembly subsequently enacted Chapter 285 of Volume 81 of the Laws of Delaware, which provides 12 weeks of paid leave upon the birth or adoption of a child 6 years of age or younger for those continuously employed for at least 1 year as full-time employees of this State, including employees of school districts. Sections 1 and 2 of this Act re-enact portions of Chapter 187 of Volume 81 of the Laws of Delaware that would have also applied to the existing donated leave program for catastrophic illness. Specifically these provisions are intended to do the following: (1) Clarify how much leave employees of a public school district who do not accrue annual leave must use before being eligible for donated leave. (2) Clarify the interaction between donated leave and leave available under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including transferring existing definitions to a central definition section and transferring provisions that are substantive law out of defined terms. This Act is named in honor of Christopher Chujoy, a special education instructional aide in the Red Clay Consolidated School District. Mr. Chujoy was diagnosed in August 2022 with stage IV cancer. Mr. Chujoy used up all of his available sick time before his passing and his situation raised the issue that is the primary purpose of this Act.
Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution designates September 2024 as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in Delaware to highlight the health condition and its impact on the community. The document provides background information on the disease, noting that it affects over 3,000 residents in the state and that the vast majority of patients are from minority backgrounds. It also mentions current efforts by local healthcare providers and a planned statewide data collection program to improve care and policy. Ultimately, the bill serves as a formal acknowledgment rather than a law that changes funding or medical procedures.
The governance of this State relies on the qualifications and performance of the members of the Governor’s cabinet. The General Assembly finds that the confirmation process is an important step to ensure the qualifications and performance of the Governor’s cabinet. This Act is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to require each holdover member of the Governor’s cabinet to be reconfirmed by the Senate at the beginning of each term of the Governor. This Act defines members of the Governor’s cabinet as the principal officer of an executive department made subject to § 10 of Article III of the Delaware Constitution by an Act of the General Assembly. Senate Bill No. 16, as introduced, implements this Act by making the principal officer of the following executive departments subject to this constitutional requirement: (1) The Department of Education. (2) The Department of Military Affairs / Delaware National Guard. (3) The Office of Management and Budget. (4) The Department of Health and Social Services. (5) The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. (6) The Department of Agriculture. (7) The Department of Safety and Homeland Security. (8) The Department of Finance. (9) The Department of Transportation. (10) The Department of Labor. (11) The Delaware State Housing Authority. (12) The Department of State. (13) The Department of Correction. (14) The Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. (15) The Department of Technology and Information. (16) The Department of Human Resources. 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. Amending the Delaware Constitution requires not only the passing of the changes in this Act, but also passage of the same changes after the next general election by the next General Assembly. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This House Substitute bill clarifies it is only for new or substantially modified permits and specifies it is only for the following permits: (1) Clean Air permit; (2) Coastal Zone Act permit; (3) Solid waste permit; (4) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and (5) Hazardous waste permit. As in the original bill the applicant is still required to go through a community outreach process for any qualified project, defined as a project within an underserved community or within 3 miles of an underserved community that meets the definition of a “qualified project” under DNREC’s Regulations. Underserved community is defined as (1) A specified geographic area where the percentage at poverty level is greater than twice the State Average Median Household Income as determined by the most recent United States Census or (2) Any specified community in the most current community mapping tool on the Department’s website. It is anticipated that DNREC will have an environmental justice area viewer, or similar tool, as a link on its website. However, under this House Substitute bill the applicant must submit, with their permit application, a Community Outreach Plan. At a minimum the Community Outreach Plan must: (1) identify a facility community liaison; (2) schedule a community meeting in or within 3 miles of the boundaries of the underserved community; (3) provide a written overview of information to be provided in the permit application; (4) publish the community meeting notice on-line and in at least 1 newspaper and, if available, 1 in the predominate non-English language if the underserved community is identified as limited English proficiency, at least 30 days prior to the scheduled community meeting. The community meeting must allow for interaction and questions and answers. The community meeting must be recorded or transcribed and made publicly available. Any written materials and oral and visual presentations must be accurate, free of technical language, and written in plain English consistent with federal guidelines. The applicant must also provide an Underserved Community Outreach Report to DNREC as part of the permit application and review process by DNREC. The Report must include: (1) The community demographics that qualify it as an underserved community; (2) Community liaison’s contact information; (3) Benefits of the qualified project to the community; (4) Proposed activities and their impact on air, water, soil, and health; (5)That releases of emissions over permit levels will be reported in accord with DNREC regulations; (6) Description of operations conditions or control measures that serve to reduce or mitigate pollution associated with the permit application; (7) Compliance history of facility over last 5 years and verification that any fines, penalties and remedial obligations have been fulfilled; and (8) all applicable state and federal permits held by the facility. All material provided by mail or at the community meeting and all notices must also be provided to DNREC. Trade secrets, as defined in Title 6 of the Delaware Code, do not have to be disclosed in any community outreach materials or presentations. Under this House Substitute Bill DNREC must approve, reject, or require modifications to the Community Outreach Plan within 30 days of its submittal. If the proposed Community Outreach Plan complies with the requirements of this Act it must be approved by DNREC subject to any agreed modifications. Once approved by DNREC the applicant must complete the Community Outreach Plan within 3 months. If the Secretary of DNREC determines any false information was provided by the applicant, it will be considered a falsification of the permit application. All cost incurred in complying with these new pre-permit community outreach requirements are to be paid by the applicant. Under this House Substitute bill an applicant’s permit shall not be considered complete until a DNREC approved Community Outreach Plan is completed. This House Substitute bill not only requires the Department to promulgate regulations, within 6 months of enactment, but it adds they must be created in collaboration with a Stakeholder Committee made up of appointees of the Governor, the Secretary of the Department, the Chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee and the Chair of the Senate Environment, Energy, and Transportation Committee. This Act will be effective within 30 days of publication of notice by the Register of Regulations that DNREC has advised it that it has promulgated regulations to administer this Act.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates the month of June as "Caribbean American Heritage Month" within the State of Delaware. It serves as a formal recognition of the significant cultural, historical, and professional contributions made by Caribbean Americans to the state and the nation. The resolution highlights the achievements of notable figures with Caribbean roots, such as Bob Marley and Kamala Harris, to underscore their impact on various fields including arts, government, and business. By passing this measure, the Delaware General Assembly aims to celebrate and honor the diverse heritage of Caribbean communities during the specified month.
Maddy summaryThis bill is a Senate resolution that formally recognizes the importance of creating a statewide registry for cerebral palsy in Delaware. It highlights the condition's impact on muscle coordination and notes that patient registries are valuable tools for medical research and improving patient care. The measure does not establish the registry itself but instead expresses legislative support for the initiative to gather data and share community stories. By passing this resolution, the General Assembly aims to raise awareness and encourage future efforts to develop such a resource.
Maddy summaryThis bill is a concurrent resolution that officially designates June 2024 as Pride Month in Delaware. It does not create new laws or change state policies but serves to acknowledge the historical significance of the LGBTQ+ community and its ongoing fight for equality. The text highlights the progress made since the 1969 Stonewall riots while noting that discrimination and hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender people, remain concerns. By recognizing this month, the legislature aims to show support for the community and reaffirm its commitment to fairness and dignity for all Delaware residents.
This Act makes technical changes for clarity by adding a definition of “mental condition” to the Code section that deals with relinquishment of firearms for persons who may be a danger to self or others (also known as a “red flag” law). It also extends the time periods for the Department of Justice to petition for a permanent order from 30 days to 60 days and allows the Superior Court to grant an extension of time to file for an additional 30 days. Under the existing law, the Superior Court may only grant a 15-day extension. The time within which a hearing is required to be held is extended from 15 days after the DOJ’s filing of a petition to 30 days. An ex parte emergency order issued by the JP Court will continue in effect during these time periods.
