This bill clarifies definitions relating to airbags, counterfeit supplemental restraint system components, nonfunctional airbags, and supplemental restraint systems, and prohibited trade practices.
This bill creates a special license plate for Autism Awareness and Acceptance.
The Bill sets forth 8 factors a court must consider in determining a proposed relocation of a child for a period of 60 days or more in litigation involving custody or visitation. These factors include: (1) the nature, quality, extent, and duration of the child’s relationship with the individual proposing to relocate and with the non-relocating individuals, siblings and other significant persons in the child’s life; (2) the age, developmental stage, needs of the child, and the likely impact of the relocation on the child, taking into account any special needs of the child; (3) the feasibility of preserving the relationship between the non-relocating individual and the child; (4) the child’s preference; (5) any established patterns of the relocating individual to thwart or promote the relationship between the child and non-relocating individual; (6) whether the relocation will enhance the general quality of life of the child and relocating individual; (7) the reasons for requesting and opposing the relocation; and (8) any other factor affecting the best interests of the child.
This Act amends the Charter of The Town of Milton. Specifically, this Act does all of the following: (1) Updates the referenced Town Map. (2) Revises the annexation process for the Town. (3) Authorizes the Town to contract with the Sussex County Department of Elections for voter registration. (4) Creates parameters for any proposed sale, exchange, interconnection, or disposal of the Town’s water system. (5) Provides an exception for the need to hold a referendum if the government funding source is providing 100% principal forgiveness on the loan for a municipal project. This Act allows the Mayor and Town Council of The Town of Milton to do all of the following: (1) Exercise the powers given other municipalities as set out in the Municipal Tax Increment Financing Act, Chapter 17 of Title 22 of the Delaware Code, and the Special Development District Act, Chapter 18 of Title 22 of the Delaware Code. (2) Enter into certain contracts without competitive bidding in connection with municipal tax increment financing and special development districts. (3) Collect special ad valorem taxes, special taxes, and ad valorem taxes related to the special development districts. (4) Levy special ad valorem taxes, special taxes, and ad valorem taxes in amounts it deems necessary for any municipal tax increment financing and any special development districts. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a municipal charter.
This Act amends the Charter for the City of Lewes by doing all of the following: - Permitting the City of Lewes to utilize the State's Voter Registration System in connection with municipal elections, as authorized by Subchapters IV and V of Chapter 75 of Title 15 of the Delaware Code. - Updating and clarifying the appointment process for an incumbent Councilperson or the Mayor in the event there is no challenger at the time of the Lewes municipal elections. - Deleting provisions that are redundant or in conflict with provisions of State law relating to municipal elections, specifically Chapter 75 of Title 15. - Providing that, if a vacancy occurs in the Office of Mayor or City Councilperson, the person chosen to fill the vacancy is deemed to have been elected. - Permitting the City Council to restrict fishing on the Delaware Bay shore, northwest of the Ferry terminal. - Conforming existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including using gender-neutral language and using singular tense to include the plural, as provided in § 304, Title 1 of the Delaware Code.
The Delaware General Assembly incorporated the Board of Public Works of the City of Lewes (the “BPW”) in 1901 when it, separate from the Charter adopted for the City of Lewes, enacted the Charter of the BPW and empowered it to establish, control, and regulate the utility system for the City of Lewes. The BPW is a public body under the Delaware Freedom of Information Act and is subject to the obligations and requirements of a public body under Delaware’s Sunshine Laws. The BPW reviews and approves budgets, contracts, and utility policies, including concerning rates, in meetings that are open to the public. The BPW Directors are directly accountable to the ratepayers who elect them to handle matters concerning utility policy. This Act seeks to address the City’s concern that it have a codified role in the extension of the Lewes utility system to property located outside of the City of Lewes municipal limits by amending the Charter of the BPW to specifically require going forward the Mayor and City Council’s prior consent for the BPW to expand utility service to any territory outside of the City of Lewes municipal limits. Through this change, the Mayor and City Council will have an important role in any future expansion of the utility system, while still preserving, consistent with the Charter of the BPW, the BPW Directors’ responsibility over utility policy concerning said utility system for the benefit of the ratepayers. This Act also resolves uncertainty created by a recent Delaware Superior Court decision concluding that the BPW may only sue and be sued where specifically noted within the Charter of the BPW. The Superior Court’s recent decision, for example, creates a cloud of uncertainty over whether the BPW can sue and be sued under contracts it lawfully executes in its own corporate name. This Act removes this uncertainty by expressly giving the BPW the general power to sue and be sued. To promote collaboration and dialogue between the BPW Board of Directors and the City of Lewes Mayor and City Council, this Act also prohibits each incorporated entity from suing the other entity for a period of five years.
This Act establishes a mental health services unit for Delaware elementary schools. The unit is at a ratio of 250 full-time equivalent students grades K-5 for a full-time school counselor, school social worker, or licensed clinical social worker. Additionally a unit ratio of 700 full time equivalent students for grades K-5 for employment of a full-time school psychologist. This Act defines “mental health services” as prevention, response, and coordination services delivered to students in elementary schools. Mental Health disorders are the most common health problem for school aged youth. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in five youth are affected by a mental health disorder. Additionally, 50% of lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14. Untreated mental illness leads to negative outcomes including increased risk of dropout, homelessness, substance abuse, other chronic illnesses, incarceration, and possibly suicide. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, ninety percent of people who have taken their own life have had an underlying mental health condition, and suicides are on the rise. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, suicides are now the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-14. Delaware schools need trained and experienced mental health professionals to provide prevention and support programs and services to students. Currently, as reported by Delaware school districts, 86% of elementary schools do not employ a school social worker, and ratios of students to school counselors and school psychologists far exceed national best practices. This bill will lower ratios and increase access to mental health services for elementary school students.
This Act adds an additional classification for surgical hospitals. House Bill No. 91 adopted by the 150th General Assembly (82 Del. Laws c. 73) revised the statutory definition of hospital and classified hospitals as either General, Long-term care, Psychiatric, or Rehabilitation. The existing classifications do not include surgical hospitals, those specialized hospitals providing surgical services at a level of care higher than freestanding surgery centers but whose patients do not require all of the services provided by “General” acute care hospitals. This Act will allow the Department of Health and Social Services to license and regulate surgical hospitals providing inpatient and outpatient surgical services to patients whose duration of stay is not expected to exceed 72 hours. This Act also makes technical corrections to existing law to make it consistent with the Legislative Drafting Manual.
This resolution congratulates the class 2019-2020 Eagle Scouts for having attained the highest rank one can earn in the Boy Scouts of America.
Sections 1 and 2 of this Act make clear that an individual who is the subject of a false report is a victim and is entitled to restitution and the benefits of the Victims’ Bill of Rights. Section 3 of this Act corrects an internal reference to § 1245 of Title 11 based on changes made in Section 1 of this Act. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
