Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 27, 2019

HB 254: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EDUCATOR LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, EVALUATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND PREPARATOR PROGRAMS.

This act will allow a critical need reimbursement to be distributed directly to an institute of higher education or Secretary of Education approved Alternative Routes to Teacher Licensure and Certification program for an eligible teacher who is taking noncredit-bearing seminars or workshops or credit-bearing coursework in order to attain standard certification in a state-approved critical need area.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 27, 2019

HB 253: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SBI PROVIDING SUBSEQUENT CRIMINAL HISTORIES OF THOSE APPLYING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND YOUTH CAMPS.

In addition to criminal background checks that are to be done upon application, this bill further permits SBI to release subsequent criminal histories of any individuals applying to public and private schools, including substitute teachers, and individuals applying to any private school or youth camp.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 27, 2019

SB 171: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO URGENT CARE FACILITIES.

This Act establishes a new subchapter of Title 16 regulating urgent care facilities. It requires such facilities, existing and new, to obtain a license from DHSS, which requires the urgent care facility to either be accredited by an approved accrediting body or be seeking such accreditation. If the urgent care facility is seeking accreditation, it can operate on a provisional license for nine months. If accreditation is not obtained, the urgent care facility can apply once for a renewal of a provisional license. Operating without a license or accreditation will subject urgent care facilities to fines. The Act grants DHSS the power to promulgate various regulations to enforce the Act. DHSS can also make and enforce orders to protect the public health and share information with the Division of Professional Regulation. The Act requires each urgent care facility in the State to enroll in the Delaware Health Information Network ("DHIN") and to notify a patient's primary care provider through DHIN to facilitate the coordination of care.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 27, 2019

HB 256: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND VOLUNTEERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES.

This bill requires criminal background checks for any current or prospective employees, contractors, and volunteers of the Division of Health and Social Services that visit families in their homes and in the community or have regular, direct access to children or adolescents under the age of 18. This background check includes fingerprinting for Delaware and national background checks as well as a check of the Child Protection Registry.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 27, 2019

HB 252: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE MINIMUM WAGE FOR EMPLOYEES RECEIVING TIPS OR GRATUITIES.

The minimum wage for employees who receive tips or gratuities has not changed since 1983, when the overall state minimum wage was $3.35 per hour. Tipped wage workers at that time were paid a percentage – 66.67% – of the minimum wage, which was $2.23 per hour. In 1989, the General Assembly changed the hourly wage to a flat $2.23 per hour, where it has remained since. Had the calculation been left unchanged, the tipped wage would have increased along with the minimum wage. Therefore, this bill ensures that employees who receive tips or gratuities also receive a minimum wage increase when other employees in the State receive a minimum wage increase.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 27, 2019

HB 147: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 22 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO A LODGING TAX.

Currently, a municipality other than the City of Wilmington must be granted the authority to impose a lodging tax by an amendment to the municipality’s charter through a special act of incorporation passed by the General Assembly. This Act authorizes all municipalities to impose a lodging tax, if a municipality chooses to do so. Because some municipalities currently have this authority, this Act makes clear that a provision in a special act of incorporation that authorizes a municipality to impose a lodging tax controls over the authority granted by this Act, whether the special act of incorporation is enacted before or after the effective date of this Act.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 27, 2019

SB 145: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE LOTTERY FUND.

This Act enhances 2 existing agricultural horse racing programs, the Delaware Standardbred Breeder's Program and the Delaware Certified Thoroughbred program, by providing additional funding. Under this Act, horsemen provide half of the additional funds from purse money and the State provides half of the additional funds with matching funds.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 26, 2019

HB 170: AN ACT TO AMEND THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

This Act increases the age requirement for compulsory school attendance in Delaware from 16 to 18 years of age. The age increase is phased in over a 2-year period; accordingly, there is a 1-year interim period where the compulsory school attendance age requirement will be 17 years of age. The Act further provides that a child may be exempt from the age requirement for compulsory school attendance if the child has received a high school diploma or a diploma of alternate achievement standards or obtains permission to withdraw from school from the superintendent of the district in which the child is enrolled or from the president of the board of the charter school in which the child is enrolled. To obtain a waiver from the date of enactment of this Act until August 31, 2022, a child must be at least 16 years old. To obtain a waiver on or after September 1, 2022, a child must be at least 17 years old. The Act preserves the exemption under which a child may be excused from compulsory attendance upon request of the child's parent or legal guardian coupled with supporting written documentation from a qualified health professional.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 25, 2019

HB 249: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO COUNTY TAXES.

This Act incorporates a “grandfather provision” into the definition of “resident” such that a claimant for a tax exemption who is at least 65 years of age and who was domiciled in the State of Delaware by December 31, 2018, upon reaching their 3-year anniversary of having been domiciled in the State as of June 30 immediately prior to the beginning of the County fiscal year, and upon satisfying all other requirements, such claimant is eligible for a property tax exemption or credit. For a claimant who is at least 65 years of age and who was domiciled in the State after December 31, 2018, upon reaching their 10-year anniversary of having been domiciled in the State as of June 30 immediately prior to the beginning of the County fiscal year, and upon satisfying all other requirements, such claimant is eligible for a property tax exemption or credit. The above-mentioned changes are similar to revisions to the residency requirements for claimants who are 65 years of age or older and who seek a credit against school taxes. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 25, 2019

HB 248: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PERSONAL INCOME TAX AND STUDENT LOAN INTEREST PAID.

This bill creates a Delaware personal income tax credit, not to exceed $500 per year per individual for interest paid on student loans.

in committee · Delaware · House Jun 20, 2019

HB 244: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MARINAS AND FUELS.

This bill will allow marinas in Sussex County to sell gasoline that does not contain ethanol. Sussex County comfortably meets the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground level ozone, and removing ethanol from marine fuel will have no significant impact on ambient ozone levels. The State of Maryland now allows the sale of non-ethanol gasoline in certain counties that are adjacent to Sussex County and Delaware businesses are losing sales to their Maryland counterparts.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Jun 20, 2019

SB 136: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 3 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

The purpose of the Bill is to protect farmers and ranchers from nuisance lawsuits filed by individuals who inhabit areas where agricultural operations lawfully exist, and who exercise nuisance actions to attempt to stop operation and production. This Bill protects farms and agricultural operations that use commonly accepted agricultural practices from being considered a nuisance in areas zoned for agricultural uses and operations that have existed for a period of 1 year or longer. This will enable the State to protect the production of food, fuel and fiber within the state. AR Districts provide for a full range of agricultural activities and protect agricultural lands, as one of the State’s most valuable natural resources, from the depreciating effect of uses deemed objectionable, hazardous or unsightly (Kent County Zoning Code Chapter 205-60 Article VI and Sussex County Zoning Code Chapter 115-19 Article IV). Moreover, AR Districts serve as a transitional buffer zone between agricultural and residential uses and are also intended to protect watersheds, water resources, and forest areas. Kent and Sussex county ordinances permit specified land uses within AR Districts to provide for a wide range of agricultural uses and farm related services while also providing for low-density residential development in areas that are rural in character and where farming may not be the optimum land use activity. New Castle County Unified Development Code (UDC) permits agricultural uses in eight Urban and Suburban-Transition Districts and seven Suburban and Special Character Districts (UDC Chapter 40). Permitted uses within these districts include crop production and animal production, and any other agricultural uses as recognized by Delaware law. Additional uses, permitted for Limited Review, include Farm Market and Clearing activities (UDC Land Use tables 40.03.110 A and 40.03.110 B). It is the express intention of this act to establish as the policy of this State the protection of agricultural operations from nuisance actions, where recognized methods and techniques of agricultural production are applied, while, at the same time, acknowledging the need to provide a proper balance among the varied and sometimes conflicting interests of all lawful activities in Delaware.

Bill results