Sen. Laura Sturgeon

Under current law, an individual can file a charge of employment discrimination by sending the verified charge to the Delaware Department of Labor (Department). This Act clarifies that a verified charge of discrimination is deemed to be filed on the date it is sent to the Department. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill creates the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act. The Act delineates a consumer’s personal data rights and provides that residents of this State will have the right to know what information is being collected about them, see the information, correct any inaccuracies, or request deletion of their personal data that is being maintained by entities or people. This Act is modeled after existing frameworks for data privacy in other jurisdictions. This Act will apply to entities that conduct business in the State of Delaware who controlled or processed the personal data of not less than 35,000 consumers or controlled or processed the personal data of not less than 10,000 consumers and derived more than 20 percent of their gross revenue from the sale of personal data. This Act requires Delaware Department of Justice to engage in public outreach to educate consumers and the business community about the Act beginning at least 6 months prior to the effective date of the Act.

This Act updates the definition of a catalytic converter and limits the purchase or sale of a catalytic converter to a licensed automotive recycler or licensed scrap metal processor, and their respective employees and agents. The Act prohibits minors from selling catalytic converters. The Act specifies the amount of time the catalytic converter must be held before sale as well as what contact information must be obtained from the purchaser and seller as well as identification information on the catalytic converter and requires the information be maintained for 1 year. The Act places a 48 hour hold on payments and limits payment form to checks and limits the time of day and location for the sale of a catalytic converter. The Act requires the licensed sellers to make the purchasers’ and sellers’ contact information available to the police. This Act makes a catalytic converter, in violation of this chapter, considered contraband and, possession thereof, subject to seizure and forfeiture. This Act is for the purpose of regulating the purchase and sale of catalytic converters and for the purpose of assisting law enforcement in response to the high level of catalytic converter theft that has occurred in Delaware. This Act also makes technical changes to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act expands the rights of long-term care facility residents by ensuring that long-term care facility residents are entitled to care that recognizes cultural differences and preferences and that long-term care facility residents are made aware of their rights in a language and format that is accessible to the resident. This Act also requires the Department of Health and Social Services to prepare a standardized notice listing all rights detailed in § 1121 of Title 16 in a language and format that is accessible to each resident or their authorized representative. This bill also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Senate Bill No. 80 codifies the current practice in Delaware of not requiring proof of citizenship or a specific immigration status on an application for a professional license. By affirmatively providing eligibility for professional licenses regardless of immigration status, Senate Bill No. 80 brings Delaware into compliance with a federal requirement in place since August 22, 1996, under 8 U.S.C.S. § 1621(d), and provides public notice of this policy. Senate Bill No. 80 also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 80 differs from Senate Bill No. 80 by also codifying the current practice of allowing an applicant for a professional license who does not have a social security number to submit instead, an attestation stating that if the applicant obtains a social security number in the future, the applicant will update their application with that social security number.

This Act establishes the comprehensive framework for the regulation of pet insurance transacted in Delaware. The Act reflects the adoption of the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s Pet Insurance Model Act, with adjustments made to conform the model act to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including using the singular tense of a word rather than the plural tense.

This bill creates a special license plate for Whitetails Unlimited.

This Act revises the State's Gold Alert Program to include missing children and increase dissemination of information to the public to better assist the State's search efforts. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act makes various amendments to the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act to improve compliance with its testing and reporting requirements. First, this Act requires physicians to take a training program every 2 years relating to the provisions of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Second, it requires the Division of Public Health to develop electronic forms to be used at a child’s 12 and 24 month well visit that record lead screening results and are shared with the Divison. Third, it clarifies that laboratories and health care professionals involved in blood lead level analysis must report results to the the Division of Public Health. Finally, it requires the Division of Public Health to share data with school nurses relating to whether an enrolled student has been screened for lead poisoning.

In 2017, the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Public Law No. 115-97, suspended many itemized deductions from individual federal taxes until January 1, 2026, including the itemized deduction for costs to maintain membership in a labor organization. Senate Bill No. 72 created a tax credit for resident individuals equal to the annual cost, not to exceed $500, to the individual to maintain membership in a labor organization. Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 72 made the annual cost to a resident individual to maintain membership in a labor organization an itemized tax deduction, not to exceed $500. Senate Amendment No. 1 to SS 1 for SB 72 sunset this itemized deduction when the federal tax deduction for costs to maintain membership in a labor organization is restored. Like SS 1 for SB 72, Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 72 creates an itemized tax deduction for the annual cost to a resident individual to maintain membership in a labor organization. SS 2 for SB 72 differs from SS 1 for SB 72 as follows: 1. It does not allow an individual to take this deduction if the individual has taken a deduction on their federal income tax return for any cost to maintain membership in a labor organization. 2. It clarifies that this exemption does not include payments that are not deductible under federal law for amounts paid to or through a labor organization for employee benefits, pension contributions, other compensation, or that were used in connection with lobbying or political expenditures, or settlement or investigatory costs or assessments of a government entity. 3. Does not define “labor organization”, because under § 1101 of Title 30, it has the same meaning as when used in federal law in reference to federal income taxes. If an individual deducts any cost to maintain membership in a labor organization from their federal income tax return, that deduction flows through to the state return. By limiting this deduction to individuals who have not taken a deduction on their federal income tax return for any cost to maintain membership in a labor organization, SS 2 for SB 72 does not need to sunset, because if federal law restores or creates a similar deduction in the future and an individual uses that deduction, the individual cannot claim the same deduction again on their state income tax return. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.