Rep. Bill Carson

The Agricultural Lands Preservation Act allows existing farm structures that are no longer in use, but which existed when the farmland was placed in the preservation program, to be converted to use for public gatherings under specific limitations. Experience has shown that these existing limitations do not adequately allow for renovation and modernization of these farm structures to accommodate the public gathering uses. This Act provides flexibility so a farm owner may upgrade the otherwise unused farm structures, while continuing to provide protection regarding agricultural activities conducted on the farmland. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Concurrent Resolution creates an Aging-in-Place Working Group that will develop a plan to guide policies designed to promote successful aging-in-place for seniors in Delaware. The group will deliver preliminary recommendations to the General Assembly by March 30, 2022.

Senate Bill No. 132 (SB 132) and Senate Bill No. 110 (SB 110) both revise the requirements for rent increases in manufactured home communities and the dispute resolution process when a rent increase is proposed. Many of the revisions to Chapter 70 of Title 25, which governs manufactured homes on rented lots in manufactured home communities, are identical in both SB 132 and SB 110. The main difference between SB 132 and SB 110 is that SB 110 clarifies when a manufactured home community owner can recover the cost of a capital improvement from the homeowners in the community by making the amount the community owner collects a capital improvement assessment fee that ends when the cost of the capital improvement is recovered, instead of a permanent rent increase. SB 132 does all of the following: 1. Adds definitions and clarifies how often a rent increase may occur or be requested. 2. Revises the requirements for when rent may be increased above the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. 3. Adds disclosure requirements to the rent increase dispute resolution process. 4. Clarifies the legal standard and scope of a court’s review of an arbitrator’s decision. 5. Clarifies when rent increases take effect. 6. Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 132 differs from SB 132 because it includes the revisions to Chapter 70 of Title 25 that are in SB 110, which are as follows: 1. Repeals the definition of “market rent” because that term is not a factor considered for justifying a rent increase under current law. 2. Clarifies that the amount the community owner collects from a capital improvement assessment fee ends when the cost of the capital improvement is recovered, instead of a permanent rent increase, consistent with a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Delaware. 3. Adds a corresponding technical change that continues to allow a homeowner or homeowner association to dispute a capital improvement assessment fee under the existing rent increase dispute resolution process. Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 132 differs from SB 132 and SB 110 as follows: 1. Restores changes in utility charges as a factor that may justify a rent increase above the CPI-U. 2. Reorganizes the notice requirements under § 7053(a) for clarity. 3. Allows a homeowner to receive income and operating expense statements from the community owner for a period of time longer than 3 years upon a showing of good cause. 4. Requires an arbitrator to use the standards in Chapter 70 of Title 25 in making a decision.

This concurrent resolution recognizes the month of May 2021 as "Healthy Vision Month" in the State of Delaware.

This Concurrent Resolution urges the President of the United States to designate a State Funeral at the time appropriate for the final Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

This Resolution recognizes May 17, 2021 as the 67th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

This resolution honors Corporal Keith Andrew Heacook and offers condolences to his family, colleagues, and community.

This Act clarifies when a manufactured home community owner can recover the cost of a capital improvement from the homeowners in the community and makes the amount the community owner collects a capital improvement assessment fee that ends when the cost of the capital improvement is recovered, instead of a permanent rent increase. A homeowner or homeowner association may dispute a capital improvement assessment fee under the existing rent increase dispute resolution process. This Act also repeals the definition of “market rent” because that term is not a factor considered for justifying a rent increase under current law. This Act also clarifies when a capital improvement assessment fee or rent increase takes effect. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 29, 2021 as "National Vietnam War Veterans Day" in Delaware.

This Act limits the use of certain Class B firefighting foams (“Class B foams”) in Delaware. Class B foams are used to put out fires caused by flammable liquids like gasoline, oil, and jet fuel, and can be divided into 2 categories: those with PFAS chemicals and those without. PFAS chemicals include a range of chemistries with differing properties, which have been widely-used for decades in products other than Class B foams, like food packaging, carpets, and other household items, and in firefighting foam. The use of firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals, however, is an emerging public health challenge to avoid future contamination and reduce exposure to firefighters and Delawareans. Firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals can get into water wells and drinking water supplies and expose firefighters and others to the chemicals. More studies into the effects of PFAS chemicals are emerging; some of the health effects of exposure to certain PFAS chemicals include pregnancy complications, liver damage, and high cholesterol. The PFAS chemicals in firefighting foams must be weighed against their particularly-effective nature in fighting liquid fires when mixed with water. To that end, this Act prohibits the use of Class B foams containing intentionally-added PFAS chemicals unless the use is for fire prevention or emergency firefighting. Further, this Act permits the use of such foam for training and testing only if the facility in which the training or testing occurs has implemented containment, treatment, and disposal measures to prevent releases of Class B foams containing PFAS chemicals. This Act also makes technical changes to Part IV of Title 16, to reflect its current structure more accurately.