Sen. Catherine Cloutier

This Substitute Bill makes the following changes to House Bill No. 287: 1. It changes the name of the new diploma to a "Diploma of Alternate Achievement Standards" instead of a "Diploma of Modified Performance Standards." 2. It adds a requirement that a student must be eligible to take a statewide alternate assessment to receive the new diploma. 3. The Act takes effect in the academic year after enactment.

This Bill amends the membership of the Behavioral Health Consortium to include two members of both the House and Senate, a member from the Ability Network of Delaware, and the Mental Health Association in Delaware. The Bill also extends the date the first report is due from March 1, 2018 to April 16, 2018.

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes April 10, 2018, as "Equal Pay Day".

In 2016, according to the Division of Forensic Science, 308 people died from overdoses in Delaware. To address the devastating effects that the opioid epidemic has had on the citizens and families of the state of Delaware, this Act will: 1.) Impose a tax on the first sale of opioids in the State at a rate of 10% of the purchase price. Revenue generated from the tax will be used to support opioid addiction treatment options in Delaware, including residential programs, as well as to educate the public on the dangers of opioid addiction and available treatment options in Delaware; 2.) Direct civil legal settlement proceeds resulting from matters related to opioids be deposited to the Opiate Stewardship Fund; 3.) Authorize the Governor to appoint and fund the position of the newly-created Policy Advisor. The full-time Policy Advisor will serve at the pleasure of the Governor and will be tasked with addressing only opioid addiction-related matters; and 4.) Establish the Opiate Stewardship Advisory Council. The council will be charged with prioritizing where revenue generated from the opioid tax is best spent in order to assist those who are addicted, as well as their families. This council – building on the progress made by the Behavioral Health Consortium and other related medical and state agency committees – will be a separate entity that is responsible solely for advising in the treatment-related tasks of the newly-created Policy Advisor.

This resolution adds a new Rule 30 to the Senate Rules relating to Anti-Harassment Policy and Training.

This House Concurrent Resolution designates March 27, 2018 "Girl Scout Day" in the State of Delaware.

This Resolution recognizes March 19, 2018 as "Women in Public Office Day" in Delaware.

This Act includes Department of Transportation employees who work on interstate, expressway, arterial, and collector roads in the classification of employees who are eligible to receive hazardous duty pay. This Act contains a delayed effective date provision to ensure this Act takes effect in fiscal year 2019. Funding for this Act will be drawn from funds that would not violate Article VIII, § 12. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill creates an Abandoned Cultural Property Act. The act allows museums to establish title to property that has been donated or left with the museum after any loan period has terminated and the lender cannot be found. Currently such assets drain the museum resources by taking up space and having to be cared for. Museums need a process by which they can establish clear title to abandoned, unclaimed, or unsolicited property. This law will allow more efficient use of museum funds and will assist museums to conserve, display, and ethically dispose of abandoned, unclaimed, or unsolicited property. This bill is modeled after Indiana's law. Delaware is 1 of only 4 states that has no law relating to Abandoned Cultural Property.

This Senate Resolution designates March as “Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention Month” in Delaware and encourages the Department of Health and Social Services to research methods to prevent and raise awareness of eating disorders.