Sen. Bryan Townsend

This Bill requires motor vehicle insurance policies, under the personal injury protection provisions (PIP), to provide coverage for up to $500 per injured person extricated from a motor vehicle by an emergency medical services vehicle. Emergency medical services vehicle is a vehicle duly licensed in Delaware that deploys rescue tools used by emergency rescue personnel to extricate the injured person from a vehicle. The Act also requires the Insurance commissioner to develop a uniform billing form for reimbursement and that volunteer fire and ambulance companies submit financial reports regarding expenses incurred in the use of rescue tools to the State Fire Prevention Commission.

This Act prohibits marriage of individuals under 18 years of age.

This Act prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer, or delivery of large-capacity magazines, which are defined as ammunition feeding devices with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds. In acknowledgment that thousands of law-abiding Delawareans currently possess large-capacity magazines lawfully, this Act makes such possession unlawful only if it occurs in a public place while in possession of a firearm capable of accepting it. Possession of a large-capacity magazine in areas that are not public places remains legal and this Act permits the possession and use of large-capacity magazines at shooting ranges. A violation of this Act is a class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a class G felony for any subsequent offense.

Despite the demonstrated value of primary care, access to primary care for Delawareans has become increasingly difficult as reimbursement dollars have failed to support an adequate infrastructure. The national average for primary care investment for a plan is between 6 and 8% of the total medical spend. Delaware’s average is between 3 and 4%. Some states such as Rhode Island and Oregon have recognized that market forces have prohibited any one plan in a competitive market to reallocate its spend and have stepped in legislatively to move the market to a 12% spend across insurance products. This legislation ensures adequate spending in primary care. First, by setting Medicare rates as a baseline for primary care reimbursement. This is a short term fix to stem additional primary care failure and consolidation in Delaware. It also requires that over a period of years that the overall spend of plans into primary care increase gradually to reach the 12% investment mark, but without increasing the total spend so that premiums rise as a result of this reallocation. This legislation extends to individual, group, State employee, and public assistance plans.

This resolution commends the Food Bank of Delaware for its contributions toward ending hunger and resolving the root causes of poverty in the State of Delaware through its increased statewide impact.

This Substitute Act incorporates House Bill No. 302, and also makes the following changes to House Bill No. 302: (1) Creates a new § 5403 of Title 16, which permits a mental health service provider, institution, agency, or hospital to disclose confidential communications to a law enforcement if the mental health service provider, institution, agency, or hospital concludes that the patient is dangerous to self or dangerous to others. (2) Adds definitions for “dangerous to others” and “dangerous to self” that are based on the definition in § 5001 of Title 16, but expand the temporal imminence of the individual’s actions. (3) Permits a law-enforcement officer to obtain an order of relinquishment from the Justice of the Peace Court if the officer has probable cause to believe that an individual who is the subject of a report from a mental health provider under § 5402 or § 5403 of Title 16 is dangerous to others or self and in possession of firearms or ammunition. This process is an expedited process, akin to obtaining a search or arrest warrant. Under this process, if the Justice of the Peace Court finds probable cause, it must order the relinquishment of firearms to law enforcement and may prohibit the individual from residing with others who possess firearms and grant permission for law enforcement to search for and seize firearms. An order from the Justice of the Peace Court is good for 60 days. If the Department of Justice does not file a petition in Superior Court within 60 days, the Justice of the Peace Court’s order is void and law enforcement must return the firearms. (4) Makes clear that if the Department of Justice files a petition in Superior Court, the individual has the right to a hearing before an order of relinquishment may be granted by the Superior Court. (5) Makes clear that the Justice of the Peace Court and the Superior Court may, as part of an order of relinquishment, order an individual to not reside with an individual who owns, possesses, or controls firearms. However, the Courts may not impair or limit the right to keep and bear arms of an individual who is not subject to an order. (6) Adds consistent relinquishment provisions to Title 16 so that if the Superior Court finds probable cause for an involuntary commitment hearing or orders an individual to outpatient treatment, the Court must also order the individual to relinquish firearms or ammunition. It also makes clear that an individual subject to the order of relinquishment may seek relief from the Relief from Disabilities Board. (7) Makes technical changes to correct a designation in § 1448C of Title 11 and to add “, institution, agency, or hospital” to § 5402(a)(1) of Title 16.

This resolution supports designating the month of April 2018 as “National Donate Life Month”, which recognizes those and the families of those who have donated organ, eye and tissue, as well as supports and encourages the donation of organ, eye and tissue.

This legislation corrects an inadvertent error in Delaware law that has permitted people younger than 18 years of age to vote in final-stage elections. People must be 18 years of age or older to be eligible to vote in a final-stage election such as general elections, special elections, school board elections, and school district referendums. However, people younger than 18 years of age can vote in any preliminary election, such as primary elections, if they will be 18 years of age at the time of the final-stage election.

This Concurrent Resolution provides the General Assembly's approval of the proposed final agreement or transaction between the Diamond State Port Corporation and GT USA Wilmington, LLC, as required by § 8784(1) of Title 29 of the Delaware Code. This Concurrent Resolution authorizes the Diamond State Port Corporation Board of Directors to enter into a lease for an up to 50 year concession to operate the Port of Wilmington and Edgemoor under the terms outlined in the Resolution.

This Act establishes an Educational Support Professional of the year award program throughout the State. Through this legislation, the state will formally honor and recognize the work educational support professionals, such as paraprofessionals, food service workers, custodians, and secretaries do to enhance school communities in Delaware.