Sen. Ernesto B. Lopez

This Act expands the permitted uses of unclaimed electric cooperative capital credits to include investments in energy services for low income members and energy efficiency, renewable energy, battery storage, electrification and emerging energy technology programs. The bill also amends the annual reporting requirements to include an itemization of the amount allocated each year to low income assistance, energy efficiency and renewable technologies, and non-profit donations.

This act will increase the numbers of Delaware nursing students eligible for the nursing incentive program by allowing Delawareans pursuing nursing careers at non-profit hospitals located in Delaware to be eligible for the program.

Section 1 of this Act amends Section 903 of Title 13 of the Delaware Code. Substantively, this Act allows persons who are not married but who are cohabitating to jointly adopt a child that is not theirs. The Act also rewrites the statute so as to be more clearly understandable. Section 2 of this Act amends Section 951 of Title 13 of the Delaware Code. It allows persons who are not married but who are cohabitating to jointly adopt a child that is not theirs. The Act also changes the phrase "husband and wife" to "married couple."

Currently, the SEED program allows students a maximum of 6 semesters to complete an Associate Degree. This Bill allows SEED eligible students who complete their Associate Degree in fewer than 6 semesters to apply the remaining semesters of the grant toward a Bachelor’s Degree at either the University of Delaware or Delaware Technical and Community College.

This bill adds the intentional touching of another person with semen to the definition of sexual contact. By doing so, the act of a person intentionally touching another person with semen without consent becomes the crime of unlawful sexual contact third degree.

The Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee approved a project to work with the Governor's Office throughout 2018 and 2019 to identify antiquated boards, commissions, and councils that need statutory updates or outright repeals. The Architectural Accessibility Board was identified as needing updates to make it easier to fill vacancies and generally update language to modern legislative drafting standards. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act corrects a technical error in House Bill No. 311 of the 149th General Assembly. HB 311 was intended to allow the grandfathering of licenses under Chapter 39, Title 24 to occur up to 2 years after HB 311 was enacted. In fact, however, HB 311's effective date allowed for only 1 year. Under this Act, the grandfathering period will be for the intended period of 2 years.

The opioid epidemic spreading through Delaware has reached critical levels, with 210 fentanyl-related deaths in 2017. This legislation will update the schedule for Fentanyl analogues, consistent with language used by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Forensic Chemistry Unit at the Division of Forensic Science has confirmed the presence of these analogues in Delaware, but some of which are not currently scheduled under Title 16. This is directly related to continuous structural modifications of Fentanyl by illicit manufacturers. This legislation will close that gap and provide clarity to Title 16, consistent with federal law, by addressing ever-changing structural modifications being made in the illicit manufacture of Fentanyl. This legislative is aimed to curb the manufacture and distribution of illicit Fentanyl analogues and has no impact on the legal manufacture of Fentanyl for medical use.

The Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee approved a project to work with the Governor's Office throughout 2018 and 2019 to identify antiquated boards, commissions, and councils that need statutory updates or outright repeals. The Advisory Council to the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services was identified as needing updates to change terms to “up to” 3 years, remove political party balance, and make it easier to fill vacancies. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act amends the Charter of Rehoboth Beach to give the Commissioners the authority to impose and collect a lodging tax. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.