Rep. John A. Kowalko

This bill criminalizes the possession, sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt of a short-barreled shotgun and short-barreled rifle which is not registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. While it is currently illegal under federal law to possess or build such weapons without registration and payment of the tax, it is not illegal under Delaware law. This bill makes the possession, purchase, receipt or sale or such weapons a Class E violent felony punishable by up to 5 years in jail.

This Act would permit a new charter school application or expansion to be denied by the Department of Education and the State Board based solely on impact.

This Act requires candidates for either House of the General Assembly to obtain a criminal history background check to ensure that they have not been convicted of or plead guilty to any crime that, per the Delaware state constitution, disqualifies them from holding said office. The results of the background check are provided to the Commissioner of the Department of Elections who has the duty to review the results and ensure that individuals are qualified under § 21, Article II of the Delaware Constitution before the individual may be considered a candidate for election to either House of the General Assembly. The Act makes any and all information revealed by the background check obtained by the Commissioner of Elections confidential and not a public record. The cost of the criminal history background check is the responsibility of the candidate and may be paid from campaign funds.

This Act revises Chapter 70 of Title 25, which governs manufactured homes on rented lots in manufactured home communities, by revising the eligibility criteria for the lot rental assistance program by expanding the sources of income that qualify a homeowner for the program and making a homeowner eligible after living in the community for 5 years. This Act also creates a new eligibility category for lot rental assistance after rent increases. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Under current Delaware law, if a labor dispute constitutes a lockout, employees are immediately eligible for unemployment benefits. Additionally, current law permits an individual to collect unemployment benefits beginning the third week of a labor dispute, other than a lockout. This Act mandates that the 2-week disqualification period does not apply if either: (1) The labor dispute is caused by the failure or refusal of the employer to comply with an agreement or contract between the employer and the individual, including a collective bargaining agreement with a union representing the individual, or a State or federal law pertaining to hours, wages, or other conditions of work. (2) The employer hires a permanent replacement worker for the individual’s position. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

The Delaware Marijuana Control Act regulates and taxes marijuana in the same manner as alcohol. It allows adults over the age of 21 to legally possess and consume under 1 ounce of marijuana for personal use. It does not permit people to grow their own marijuana. Section 1: Amends Chapter 47 of Title 16 to provide that the offenses and penalties under Uniform Controlled Substances Act do not apply to marijuana-related conduct allowed under the Delaware Marijuana Control Act or the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act, Chapter 49A of Title 16. Section 2: Amends § 4764 of Title 16 to eliminate any penalty for possessing 1 ounce or less of marijuana for individuals over the age of 21 but maintains the existing civil penalty or civil citation for individuals under 21. Section 3: Amends § 4902A of Title 16 so that the definition of a registered safety compliance facility includes not just marijuana produced for medical use but also marijuana produced under the Delaware Marijuana Control Act. Section 4: Amends Chapter 4 of Title 4 to expand the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement’s duties and powers to the Delaware Marijuana Control Act. Section 5: This section creates the Delaware Marijuana Control Act. Subchapter I contains definitions and general provisions. Where definitions or analogous provisions exist in the Delaware Code, the definitions are referenced and the language from existing statutes is used. This section of the Act permits individuals over age 21 to possess, use, purchase, or transport 1 ounce (28 grams) or less of marijuana, no more than 5 grams of which may be concentrated, by individuals 21 years of age or older if the individuals are in compliance with this chapter. It permits the operation of marijuana businesses if they operate under licenses granted under Chapter 49A of Title 16, but imposes the same limits on hours and holiday sales as apply to sales of alcohol. It prohibits the use of marijuana in public, by drivers or passengers in vehicles, and prohibits the smoking of marijuana anywhere that smoking tobacco or ecigarettes is not permitted. Marijuana may not be sold in an establishment licensed to sell alcohol. It delineates the rights of property owners with respect to marijuana possession and consumption. There are specific provisions imposing the same penalties as with alcohol sales, for individuals under the age of 21 using false identification to purchase marijuana, and for businesses that fail to verify the age of marijuana consumers. This Act creates the Delaware Marijuana Control Act Oversight Committee. This Oversight Committee will coordinate the implementation of this Act with the Medical Marijuana Program, the Division of Public Health, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, and the public. The Oversight Committee will review the effectiveness of the Delaware Marijuana Control Act in regard to the safe operation of facilities licensed under this Act, the impact of this Act on public safety, and the impact of this Act on public health. The Commissioner must submit an annual report to the Governor and the members of the General Assembly setting forth all matters of interest and all statistics concerning marijuana regulation and control in the State including: the number of licenses of each variety issued with the State; including the name and address of each person licensed to cultivate, manufacture, or sell marijuana or marijuana products in the State; the amount of marijuana and marijuana products sold within the State; the number of licenses of each kind granted and the number cancelled during the year, and the outcomes and effective of the issuance of social equity licenses. Subchapter II creates the position of Marijuana Commissioner and an Appeals Commission. The Commissioner has the power to establish health and safety regulations for marijuana cultivation that are consistent with applicable rules and regulations established by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Agriculture. The Commissioner must consult with the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement before adopting or establishing policies that concern enforcement. Finally, they must coordinate with the Division of Small Business, Development, and Tourism so that potential businesses licensed under this Act have access to programs, particularly those that support small businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans. Subchapter III sets up the regulations and licenses under the Delaware Marijuana Control Act. The Marijuana Commissioner has the authority to adopt regulations to implement this Act and includes specific requirements that marijuana establishments must meet to obtain licenses. Regulations must require that products containing marijuana use of a symbol and a standard measurement to be used on all marijuana products so they are easily identified as containing marijuana and consumers can identify the amount of marijuana in different products; be in opaque, child-resistant packaging; and contain a warning label explaining evidence-based harms from consuming marijuana, including the impact on developing brains. The regulations must also contain security requirements, testing requirements, advertising restrictions, and require that food products comply with State food safety laws. There are separate licensing requirements for retail marijuana stores, marijuana testing facilities, marijuana cultivation facilities, and marijuana product manufacturing facilities. Licensing requirements also differ between open licenses, social equity licenses, and microbusiness licenses. There is a $10,000 biennial fee for most open licenses, with reduced licensing fees for microbusinesses and social equity licenses. Cultivation licenses are determined square footage of the grow rates. As part of the competitive scoring process the Commissioner will use to determine which applicant may obtain licenses to operate each type of marijuana establishment, applicants for open licenses will submit a business plan, an environmental and sustainability plan, as well as attestations affirming that (1) the applicant has a project labor agreement with a bona fide labor organization, and (2) the applicant has or will utilize a project labor agreement. Subchapter III establishes the criteria for a social equity applicant, requires the Commissioner to develop a financial assistance and technical assistance programming to aid social equity applicants. It also establishes the criteria for a microbusiness license. Subchapter VII provides the Commission the authority to refuse approval of changes in the ownership, officers, or directors, financial interest or lease in connection with any license. The subchapter also details the requirements when there is a change in ownership of a license or licensee, a change in officers and directors, and changes in the financial interest of a license or licensee. Subchapter VIII creates the Marijuana Regulation Fund and the Justice Reinvestment Fund. The Regulation Fund will consist of fees collected, penalties imposed, and taxes collected under this Act. It creates the marijuana control enforcement tax on retail marijuana in the amount of 15%. 7% of the tax revenue collected will be allocated to the Justice Reinvestment Fund, under the management of [state agency/division] where it will be used for projects to improve quality of life for communities most impacted by the prohibition of marijuana and “war on drugs” era policies. Section 6: Creates a State tax deduction for all ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred by a marijuana establishment to reflect the inability of a business licensed under this Act to deduct these expenses from federal taxes and thus state taxes. This creates a more level playing field with other businesses. Section 7: Provides that the initial regulations required under this Act be adopted not later than 12 months after the effective date of this Act. Section 8: Removes possession of marijuana from the list of activities that prohibits a person from at the same time possessing a handgun. Section 9: Makes the provisions of the bill severable. Section 10: Makes the bill effective upon appropriation of funds for implementation. This bill differs from House Bill No. 150 in the following ways: Incorporates HA1 and 2 to HB150 regarding standardization of assessments and accreditation processes. Adds the requirement of a comprehensive business plan to the competitive scoring criteria for licenses. Incorporates HA4 to HB150, requiring ongoing communication between the Commissioner and the Department of Agriculture regarding marijuana and hemp cultivation, allowing for the grant of a conditional license for an applicant who is working to secure a physical location, making technical changes to the revenue administration portion of the Control Act. Incorporates HA5 to HB150 regarding rights of employers. Incorporates HA6 removing financial assistance for social equity applicants and instead authorizing the Commissioner to explore opportunities for public and private financial assistance. Incorporates HA7 regarding safety packaging requirements. Incorporates HA10, removing the requirement that an applicant submit an attestation affirming the applicant has a project labor agreement or will utilize a project labor agreement for construction of a marijuana cultivation facility. Directs 7% of the marijuana tax revenue to a Justice Reinvestment Fund to be used for programs and initiatives meant to restore and benefit communities most harmed by “war on drug” era policies. Removes expungement provisions, as they were rendered duplicative by the passage of Senate Bills 111 and 112.

This Resolution expresses the General Assembly's strong support for Ukraine in its war against the invasion by the Russian Federation (“Russia”) and for the severe economic sanctions imposed on Russia by President Biden's administration. This Resolution further demands that Russia immediately cease its violent, illegal, and immoral assault on the sovereign nation of Ukraine.

The bill amends the Charter of the City of Newark by changing the timeline for special elections from no less than 30 and no more than 60 days after a vacancy occurs to no less than 60 and no more than 90 days after a vacancy. In addition, the bill sets the filing deadline for special elections at 29 days prior to the election. During the two recent special elections, the City of Newark found that the current timeframe is insufficient, given the frequency of city council meetings (at which the council is required to set the date), the lead time for placing notices in newspapers, and reasonable time for residents to decide to file to run and to gather the requisite number of signatures.

This bill provides COVID-19 related relief to both claimants receiving unemployment benefits and employers who are assessed unemployment taxes, and extends the end date of the Secretary of Labor’s COVID-19 related rulemaking authority. Section 1 exempts unemployment compensation benefits received in 2021 from the calculation of Delaware adjusted gross income so that unemployment claimants will not have to pay state taxes on the benefits they received during the continuation of the pandemic into 2021. This exemption was previously granted for 2020 state taxes. Section 2 holds the 2022 new employer assessment rate, average industry assessment rate and average construction industry assessment rate at the same rate as 2020 in order to avoid an increase in these rates as a result of the increase in unemployment claims due to COVID-19. Section 3 reduces the unemployment tax assessment rate for merit rated employers to the lowest of their earned rates for 2020, 2021 and 2022, in order to provide further tax relief for employers dealing with the economic effects of COVID-19, but does not provide this reduction for any employers who are paying the delinquency rate of assessment because of a failure to file quarterly assessment reports or failure to pay assessments. Section 3 also allows the Department the administrative authority to reduce employer assessment rates below the delinquency rate and provide responding credits, as necessary to correct administrative errors or address fraudulent claims charged to employers, except for employers who are charged the delinquency assessment rate because they have failed to file any quarterly tax report. Section 4 holds the taxable wage base at $14,500 for 2022, which will reduce the amount of wages on which employers pay unemployment tax assessments into the UI Trust Fund for 2022. The Department has determined that the impact of this change on the UI Trust Fund balance is estimated to be $11.4M in 2022. Sections 5 and 6 extend to December 31, 2022 the provision in HB 65, which authorized the Delaware Secretary of Labor to issue emergency rules amending the Delaware Unemployment Insurance Code to deal with the continuing effects of COVID-19 and implement federal programs providing unemployment benefits to respond to COVID-19.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution proclaims January 23, 2022, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day" in the State of Delaware.