This bill removes the notary requirement for requests for absentee ballots. Delaware is the only state that requires a notary to authorize a voter's affidavit for an absentee ballot. In some cases, the potential voter may have to pay for the notary and Delaware essentially charges them to vote.
This bill expands the population of war veterans who are eligible to be awarded a high school diploma.
This Act is the result of the recommendation made by the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee in its review of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline ("the Board") that the Division of Professional Regulation amend applicable statutes that are outdated and unnecessary, to provide for consistency with § 8735, Title 29 of the Delaware Code, relating to administrative procedures. Specifically, this Act permits the Board to utilize non-board member medical licensees as coinvestigators when specialties are required to opine on the disciplinary cases, as long as the co-investigator is licensed in the specialty at issue; creates administrative licensure for medical professionals who do not wish to practice medicine but serve as administrators in the state to applicants who meet all qualifications for licensure except active practice hours; removes antiquated language from Title 17 regarding hearing procedures and instead reiterates hearings are conducted pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act; and deletes references to the removed language. Finally, this Act makes minor modifications to each of the sub-councils organized under the Board, to standardize procedures across each of the five councils. Specifically, the Act add a duty to report unprofessional conduct to Respiratory Care Practitioners, permits the Genetic Counselor Advisory Council and the Regulatory Council for Physician Assistants to waive their quarterly meeting requirement with the approval of the Board; clarifies that temporary licenses may be granted by each of the councils under the signature of the Executive Director and the council chair; and permits council members appointed to fill vacancies to serve out those vacancies, along with two three-year terms. The language submitted for this Act has not been corrected to conform the Act to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This bill eliminates the use of an enrollment preference for students living within a 5-mile radius of a charter school. This change was supported by a majority vote of the Enrollment Preferences Task Force established by House Bill No. 90 of the 147th General Assembly. The Act will take effect immediately. For any charter school using the 5-mile preference at the time of enactment, the school is required to eliminate the preference through notification to the authorizer prior to the 2018-2019 school year. The bill allows a new preference for students located in the portion of the regular school district that is geographically contiguous with the location of the charter school.
This Act provides clearer language concerning security alarm business license and identification requirements for both businesses and individuals; gives vendors a clearer understanding of prohibited acts, discipline and penalties; and grants the Professional Licensing Section the ability to promulgate regulations, conduct inspections and additional powers needed to oversee this chapter.
This Act fulfills recommendations made by the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee. First, this Act adds language to establish the circumstances under which Trustees of the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation may be removed, using language standard to boards and commissions in this State. Second, this Act limits review of a preservation easement after 25 years of the easement's acquisition to only easements that were acquired before the enactment of this Act. Preservation easements acquired after the enactment of this Act are not subject to termination under § 917 of Title 3. Third, this Act corrects an internal reference, and makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This Act establishes the ability to grant a waiver for participation in interscholastic sports when a child exercises the right for choice from one school to another school of choice provided the standards for the waiver are met. In addition, this Act takes into consideration a new charter school or newly added grades to a charter school.
This bill would require that a resident 65 years of age or older claiming a tax credit against school taxes must be a resident of the state for at least 10 years before qualifying for such credit. The current requirement is only for 3-year residency. This bill makes a conforming change in the Code provision governing reimbursements from the General Fund. It also eliminates language related to 2001 taxes, which is no longer relevant. This change will be effective for tax and fiscal years after January 1, 2017. Those residents who would have become eligible over the last three years under the prior version of the statute will remain eligible.
Section 1 of this Act updates the Delaware Code relating to the Board of Nursing (“Board”) by eliminating conflicting definitions of an “advanced practice registered nurse” in the Code, correcting inaccurate cross-references, and eliminating references to the Joint Practice Committee, a now defunct body, and replacing such references with the newly enacted Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Committee. Section 2 of this Act corrects the Delaware Code to use the correct defined term, “advanced practice registered nurse” rather than “advanced practice nurse,” which is deleted by Section 1 of this Act. Section 3 of this Act adds passage of the national examination to the qualifications for licensure as a registered nurse currently listed in § 1910, Title 24. Section 4 of this Act eliminates reference to the national examination for registered nurses in § 1911, Title 24. The change made by Sections 3 and 4 of this Act ensures that all of the qualifications in § 1910, Title 24, including passage of the examination, are required to be a registered nurse. Section 5 of this Act makes a technical correction to make it clear that “state” and “territory” as referenced in § 1912, Title 24 means a state or territory of the United States. Additional changes of this type are made in Sections 8 and 12 of this Act. Section 6 of this Act adds passage of the national examination to the qualifications for licensure as a licensed practical nurse currently listed in § 1914, Title 24. Section 7 of this Act eliminates reference to the national examination for licensed practical nurses in § 1915, Title 24. The change made by Sections 6 and 7 of this Act ensures that all of the qualifications in § 1914, including passage of the examination, are required to be a licensed practical nurse. Section 8 of this Act corrects the reciprocity provision for licensed practical nurses who obtain licensure in another jurisdiction on or after July 1, 1983, so that the licensed practical nurse provision is consistent with the registered nurse provision in § 1912, Title 24. Section 9 of Act clarifies what an advanced practice registered nurse who has been out of active clinical practice for at least 2 years must complete in order to renew a license. In addition, this Section adds a provision that specifically allows nursing licensees to apply for inactive status. Section 10 of this Act adds a provision authorizing the Board to impose a monetary penalty upon a licensee guilty of any offense described in § 1922, Title 24. Section 11 of this Act eliminates redundant purposes of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Committee. Section 12 of this Act adds a provision that enables an advanced practice registered nurse applicant to apply by endorsement. Section 13 of this Act clarifies that only advanced practice registered nurses with at least 2 years and 4,000 hours of experience who seek to obtain independent practice are required to maintain a collaborative agreement. Each Section of this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This Act replaces the current multistate nurse licensure compact with an enhanced version. The enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact allows for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to have one multistate license, with the privilege to practice in their home state and other compact states. Under the enhanced version, all nurses practicing under a multistate license must meet a minimum set of licensure requirements, including a fingerprint federal criminal background check. Nurses who fail to meet these requirements will not be eligible for a multistate license, and multistate privileges will be removed from nurses when disciplinary actions are taken against a home state multistate license. If Delaware fails to enact the enhanced nurse multistate licensure compact, Delaware nurses with current multistate licenses will no longer be permitted to practice in states that have enacted the enhanced version. Currently, 13 states have adopted this enhanced Compact and legislation to adopt it is pending in 15 other states.
