Sen. Russ Huxtable

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative and Oversight Committee's review of the Advisory Council on Walkability and Pedestrian Awareness ("Council"). This Act codifies the Council, which was first established under Governor Ruth Ann Minner's Executive Order No. 83 (2006), disbanded in 2008, and re-established under Governor Jack Markell's Executive Order No. 54 (2015). This Act also updates the Council's membership, purpose, and goals to reflect current practices and needs.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Governor's Commission on Community and Volunteer Services ("Commission"). This Act does the following: - Removes outdated language. - Incorporates federal requirements regarding Commission membership and duties. - Clarifies quorum. - Clarifies that the Delaware State Office of Volunteerism provides reasonable staff support to assist the Commission. - Codifies the duties of the Commission's Executive Director. In Delaware, the Administrator of the State Office of Volunteerism also serves as the Commission's Executive Director. The Executive Director is a nonvoting, ex-officio Commission member and administers staffing services for the Commission. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law with the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Council on Libraries. This Act repeals the Delaware Public Library Technology Assistance Act because Delaware Division of Libraries no longer issues technology grants.

This Act requires law-enforcement agencies, the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, and the Department of Justice to report suspected animal cruelty to the Office of Animal Welfare that is discovered while performing their responsibilities in child welfare cases. This Act also provides immunity to people who in good faith, report suspected animal cruelty. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act adds the following acts against a person's companion animal or service animal to the definition of abuse for protection from abuse proceedings: 1. Engaging in cruelty. 2. Inflicting physical injury. 3. Engaging in a course of alarming or distressing conduct. In addition, this Act provides specific authority for the Court to include provisions in a protection from abuse order that grant a petitioner exclusive care, custody, or control of a companion animal and order a petitioner to stay away from the companion animal. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act requires Family Court to award possession and provide for the care of companion animals when dividing marital property after considering the well-being of the companion animal. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution proclaims the month of October 2023 as “Depression Awareness Month” in the State of Delaware.

This Concurrent Resolution encourages institutions, agencies, entities, and businesses that operate within Delaware, to purchase Delaware-grown food and value-added items. The Resolution also directs the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy to work with state agencies, higher education institutions, and other partners to prepare a report outlining current local procurement efforts to support a locally sourced food economy in Delaware, and to submit the report to the Governor and the members of the General Assembly by June 30, 2024. In addition, any updates on efforts must be submitted by December 31, 2024.

This Act increases funding for preschool children with disabilities who are not counted in either "intensive" or "complex" special education units by revising the current ratio of 12.8 students per unit to 8.4 students per unit for preschool children included in the basic unit count. This is the same ratio in effect as of July 1, 2023, for K-3 basic special education. The Act also consolidates the K-3 Basic Special Education Unit with the 4-12 Basic Special Education Unit as the ratio is the same for each group as of July 1, 2023. This substitute bill is different from original HB33 in that it omits the “Preschool 2 Basic Special Education Unit.” The preschool funding change is effective July 1, 2023.

Currently each county has its own riparian buffer requirements. The intent of this Act is to make minimum riparian buffer areas uniform throughout the State in unincorporated areas and incorporated municipalities that do not hold a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System(“MS4”) permit. This Act creates a new Chapter 10A of Title 9 which sets forth the following minimum riparian buffer areas: (1) 300 feet to the streamline, as defined by the mean high water line, of any tidal water body, tidal steam or tidal marsh; (2) 300 feet to the shoreline, as defined by the mean highwater line, of any nontidal freshwater body, lake, pond, or blue-line stream; and (3) 50 feet to the shoreline or top of bank, as defined by a greater than 50% change in slope in a distance of less than 10 feet of any non-blueline stream, creek or drainage ditch. The Act sets forth permitted uses not subject to the minimum buffer requirements. The Act requires the 3 Counties to adopt substantive and technical rules and regulations to implement the minimum riparian buffer areas and establish rules for specified uses. The Act requires all 3 Counties, by June 30, 2024 to amend their land use laws by adopting the minimum riparian buffer areas and adopting rules and regulations. The Act permits the Planning and Land Use Departments, in conjunction with the County Planning Directors, to create a coordinated program that educates and trains the public about the requirements of this Act. This Act takes effect on June 30, 2024.