Photo of Dave Sokola
D Delaware Senate · District 8

Sen. Dave Sokola

Compare
Total votes
4,080
all sessions
Attendance
99%
34 missed
Near the chamber average
With party
99%
of cast votes
Higher than 86% of chamber peers
Bipartisan score
0%
crosses aisle rarely
Lower than 91% of chamber peers
Sponsored
2,039
bills & resolutions
Higher than 86% of chamber peers
Committees
7
assignments
2,039 bills and resolutions

Sponsored bills

Total
2,039
Primary
1,334
Co-sponsor
705
This page
2,039
matching current filters
Primary HB 45
Signed into law · Delaware House · Lead sponsor
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES.

This Act is the product of the Manufactured Home Owners and Community Owner’s Act Task Force (“Task Force”), established by HR No. 24 of the 149th General Assembly. This Act makes technical and substantive revisions to the Manufactured Home Owners and Community Owners Act that were approved by all voting and nonvoting members of the Task Force. The specific changes are as follows: 1. Chapter 70 of Title 25 is reorganized so that it is easier to read and specific provisions are easier to identify. • Section 7026 is broken into separate sections in a new Subchapter V, with headings to indicate the topic of the different provisions. The reorganized subsections of § 7026 are shown with strike through where the subsection is currently located and underline in the new location, but no substantive changes are made to the subsections. 2. Technical corrections that improve consistency, clarity, and conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including all of the following: • Oxford commas added. • “Shall not” is replaced by “must not” or “may not.” • “Pursuant to [reference to paragraph, statute, title]” replaced by “under.” • “Including, but not limited to,” is replaced with “including.” • Long paragraphs that contain lists are revised into outline form. • Semi-colons at the end of items in a list are replaced with periods. • “And/or” is replaced by “and” or “or.” • “All of the following” or “any of the following” is inserted prior to lists. • Corrects the references to the Department of Justice. • Corrects spelling errors and inconsistent hyphenation and phrasing of terms. • Moves all definitions to the definitions section. 3. Corrections that, while substantive, provide clarity and codify current practices, including all of the following: • Removes the definition of “hold over” because the term is not used in Chapter 70. • Clarifies language regarding the content of a rental agreement summary. • Clarifies language regarding lease renewals. • Clarifies language regarding holdover tenancies. • Eliminates inconsistent language about the amount of notice required before a rent increase. • Provides specific authority for Delaware Manufactured Housing Relocation Authority (“DEMHRA”) to spend funds for DEMHRA’s responsibilities under Subchapter VI. • Corrects an incorrect statement in the penalty provision of Subchapter VI because DEMHRA does not, under existing law, have the authority or responsibility to approve rent increases. 4. The following substantive changes are made: • Requires that a receipt be provided to a tenant for a cash payment of rent within 3 days of the payment and that records of cash receipts for rent be maintained for 3 years. • Revises the procedure for scheduling a meeting when a rent increase is proposed and adds requirements for the content of the notice provided to homeowners of the deadline to request arbitration. • Removes the model bylaws because they are no longer necessary. • Simplifies the amount of relocation assistance provided to home owners. • Explicitly permits relocations assistance for a home moved out of State or to land that is not in a manufactured home community. This Act takes effect 180 days from enactment.

Signed into law Jun 13, 2019 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor SB 34
Signed into law · Delaware Senate · Co-sponsor
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE CREATING A PRESCRIPTION OPIOID IMPACT FUND.

This Act creates a Prescription Opioid Impact Fund (“Fund”) through a prescription opioid impact fee (“Fee”) that is paid by pharmaceutical manufacturer. The anticipated revenue from the Fee is $2.8 million in 2020, $2.7 million in 2021, and $2.5 million in 2022.: 1. The fee is based on the total of the Morphine Milligram Equivalent (“MME”) in each manufacturer’s products dispensed in Delaware, based upon data already reported to the Prescription Monitoring Program (“PMP”). The PMP data contains the mandatory reports by pharmacists of every prescription opioid dispensed in the State. The PMP data does not include prescription opioids administered in hospitals, provided directly to patients by hospice, or dispensed by veterinarians. 2. The fee is assessed on manufacturers who exceed a threshold of 100,000 MMEs dispensed each quarter. 3. The Fee is calculated at a rate of either 1 penny per MME for a name brand prescription opioid dispensed and reported in the PMP or ¼ of a penny per MME for a prescription opioid that is a generic. The Act also provides that Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, after receiving recommendations from the Behavioral Health Consortium, the Addiction Action Committee, and the Overdose System of Care Committee, will award grants and contracts from the money in the Fund for the following activities: 1. Opioid addiction prevention. 2. Opioid addiction services, including the following: 3. Inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and facilities, including short-term and long-term residential treatment programs and sober living facilities. 4. Treating substance use disorder for the under-insured and uninsured. 5. Emergency assistance relating to prescription opioids, including purchasing Naloxone. 6. Administrative costs of implementing the Fee and Fund, up to 15% of the amount in the Fund. Finally, this Act expires in 5 years, unless terminated sooner or extended by the General Assembly, so that the Fee is only continued if it is effective and is not creating negative unintended consequences.

Signed into law Jun 12, 2019 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 144
In committee · Delaware Senate · Co-sponsor
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GENETICS BASED DISCRIMINATION.

The use of genetic information in disqualifying coverage for non-health insurance products is a gap in the protection provided by the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. As a result, patients who seek genetic counseling to determine whether they may be at risk for certain diseases, such as genetic testing for the BRCA gene to determine predisposition for breast and prostate cancers, are cautioned that a positive result could result in the person being denied insurance. The potential denial of insurance has a chilling effect on patients seeking genetic testing, blocking them from being proactive by putting in place a preventative care plan that would reduce the likelihood of them getting the specific disease in the future. This Act follows the lead of other states and prohibits discrimination based upon genetic information in the issuance or renewal of disability, long-term care, and life insurance by doing the following: 1. Clearly explains what constitutes discrimination under this Act. 2. Allows the results of genetic information approved by the Insurance Commissioner to be used for disability or long-term care insurance in a manner that is reasonably related to anticipated claims experience. 3. Prohibits sharing the results of direct-to-consumer genetic tests with insurers. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

In committee Jun 11, 2019 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor HB 192
In committee · Delaware House · Co-sponsor
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ENROLLMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS.

To address concerns regarding the actual and perceived fairness of lottery admissions to choice, charter, and vo-tech schools, this Act requires that a third party approved by the Department of Education and the State Board of Education conduct the lottery. The Department of Education currently has a contract with Data Service Center to perform the choice lottery for all schools and districts in Delaware. There is no cost to the districts or charters.

In committee Jun 10, 2019 1 co-sponsor
Primary SCR 37
Passed · Delaware Senate · Lead sponsor
SUPPORTING FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL DATABASE OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF CORPORATIONS AND LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT IN COMBATING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution urges Delaware's U.S. Congressional Delegation to support federal legislation to establish a national database of beneficial ownership of corporations and limited liability companies to assist federal and state law enforcement in combating criminal activity.

Passed Jun 6, 2019 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor HB 186
In committee · Delaware House · Co-sponsor
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOL AUDITS.

This Act authorizes the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Department, or General Assembly, including a House, joint committee, committee, or member of the General Assembly, to request, and requires the Auditor of Accounts conduct or contract for, an audit of a charter school's business and financial transactions, records, and accounts in certain circumstances. In addition, this Act makes clear that the Auditor of Accounts may not charge for an audit conducted or contracted for under this Act.

In committee Jun 6, 2019 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SCR 50
Passed · Delaware Senate · Co-sponsor
THE PETER LINDTNER MEMORIAL RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO SAVE THE BEES AND PROTECT POLLINATOR POPULATIONS COUNTRYWIDE.

This resolution calls on the Congress of the United States to take action to protect bee and other pollinator populations across the United States, which have halved since the 1940s, by researching the causes of pollinator population losses and determining methods to retain and ultimately increase the number of bees and other pollinators throughout the United States and around the world.

Passed Jun 5, 2019 1 co-sponsor
Primary HB 29
In committee · Delaware House · Lead sponsor
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DNA ANALYSIS AND DATA BANK.

Establishing a suspect's identity is critical to their processing by law enforcement. DNA analysis provides unparalleled accuracy in establishing identity. The United States Supreme Court held that "DNA identification of arrestees is a reasonable search that can be considered part of a routine booking procedure". Maryland v. King, 569 U.S. 435, 465 (2013). The establishment of an individual's DNA may identify the perpetrator of "some heinous crime" and may free "a person wrongfully imprisoned for the same offense". Id. at 456. The collection of a DNA sample by buccal swab (cheek swab) of a person is a reasonable and legitimate police booking procedure that should be available for identifying those arrested for serious crimes in Delaware. This Act creates a constitutionally sound procedure for collecting and analyzing arrestee DNA. First, the Act directs that biological samples only be obtained from those accused of committing designated serious felony offenses. Second, biological samples may only be taken from arrestees by the least intrusive method - a buccal swab. Third, samples may only be submitted for identification analysis after a determination of probable cause by a judge at a preliminary hearing or a grand jury by indictment. Finally, any DNA sample or analysis of a DNA sample shall be destroyed or expunged from a DNA database if probable cause is not determined or if all charges associated with the arrest of the individual are dismissed or the individual is found to be not guilty. This Act shall become effective upon the receipt of a federal grant to the State pursuant to the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2012.

In committee Jun 5, 2019 0 co-sponsors
Showing 1,761 to 1,770 of 2,039 bills