This Concurrent Resolution recognizes June 2017 as LGBTQ Pride Month in the State of Delaware.
This resolution recognizes November 2017 as “Native American Heritage Month” in Delaware.
Since 1996, students across Delaware have participated in school choice. Currently, reorganized school districts, vocational technical school districts, and charter schools do not follow the same processes thus causing confusion and barriers for families seeking to access choice for their children. This Act aims to streamline the school choice process, making it easier and clearer for parents, guardians, and school administrators to navigate. This Act requires reorganized school districts, vocational-technical school districts, and charter schools to use a standard online application receipt and processing tool approved by the Department that is offered at no charge. It also clarifies that the application deadlines apply to all students, regardless of age or school. Additionally, it will prohibit schools from asking for additional information that does not directly pertain to an enrollment or program criterion. The bill will make the timing uniform for the ranked waitlist process. It aligns the sibling preference across all school types and eliminates the separate charter school April 1st enrollment requirement of 80% and moving to May 1st to allow for parents to make a final, informed decision. Under this bill, in the event of a mid-year termination of a pupil’s enrollment, the sending reorganized school district, vocational-technical school district, or charter school and the receiving reorganized school district, vocational-technical school district, or charter school shall enter into an agreement providing for the pro-ration of student funding based on a formula prescribed by the DDOE.
This Concurrent Resolution requests an Opinion of the Justices of the Delaware Supreme Court regarding the proper construction of § 1, Article X of the Delaware Constitution and the constitutionality of laws establishing and maintaining Delaware’s free public school system.
This Act makes corrections and changes to Senate Bill No. 13 of the 149th General Assembly (81 Del. Laws, c. 1), which was signed February 2, 2017, as follows: Section 1 ensures holders have sufficient time to comply with Senate Bill No. 13’s due diligence requirements with owners. Section 2 clarifies that the State will indemnify and defend a holder against claims made by a foreign jurisdiction for property paid or delivered to the State Escheator in good faith. Section 3 corrects an internal reference. Section 4 corrects an inconsistency among dates. Sections 5 and 6 correct certain date issues that may arise if the Department of Finance chooses to publish final regulations later than July 1, based upon comments received in May on the proposed regulations published in the April issue of the Register of Regulations. Section 7 allows the State Escheator to waive interest in certain circumstances. This Substitute to Senate Bill No. 79 differs from Senate Bill No. 79 as follows: (1) It makes no change to § 1147(a) of Title 12. (2) It makes changes to §§ 1176 and 1183 of Title 12 (as noted above regarding Sections 5 and 6 of this Act). (3) It makes changes to the State Escheator’s authority to grant waivers of interest under § 1185 of Title 12 (Section 7 of this Act).
This Concurrent Resolution requests an Opinion of the Justices of the Delaware Supreme Court regarding the proper construction of § 1, Article X of the Delaware Constitution and the constitutionality of laws establishing and maintaining Delaware’s free public school system.
This Act removes the prohibition against receipt of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (“TANF” also referred to by the name Aid for Families with Dependent Children or “AFDC”) funds by persons convicted of a drug felony, so long as that person is otherwise eligible or TANF assistance. Even though federal laws such as PRWORA passed during the War on Drugs frequently prohibited access to public assistance for persons with drug felonies, these laws also gave states flexibility in determining eligibility for food aid and cash assistance for families with children when applicants had a criminal conviction. The majority of states have limited the federal bans in whole or in part. In 2011, Delaware opted out of restrictions on food aid, but it has not opted out of or limited federal restrictions on TANF—the cash assistance program that is the principal form of assistance available to most families in poverty to pay for things like electricity bills or school supplies. Under existing law, individuals convicted of any state or federal drug felony, including possession of marijuana (which can be a felony under federal law), are ineligible for TANF for life. Although the children of a parent convicted of a drug crime can still receive assistance, the family’s overall award is significantly reduced, and in practice this affects the well-being of families and children.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution creates a Health Care Spending Task Force be created to produce comprehensive solutions for reducing the cost growth trend in the State’s health care spending while promoting and preserving access to high quality, affordable healthcare for all Delawareans.
This Resolution recognizes June 27, 2017, as “Staff Appreciation Day” in the Delaware State Senate.
The continued existence and dissemination of a juvenile criminal record hampers an individual’s ability to become a successful and productive member of society. These criminal histories are a hindrance to employment, education, housing and credit. This act modifies Delaware’s discretionary expungement provisions to allow more children, and adults with only juvenile records, the ability to petition the Court for an expungement. An adult conviction automatically disqualifies someone from seeking an expungement to their juvenile record. These changes would allow the Court to consider an expungement where a person with a juvenile record has demonstrated rehabilitation. These provisions will enable a greater number of deserving youth, and adults with only juvenile records, the ability to move beyond their past and recognizes that most youth mature out of offending behavior. This legislation builds on a bill passed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers during the 148th General Assembly. Senate Bill 198 streamlined the process for an individual to expunge their juvenile record. This proposed expansion removes certain prohibitions that prevent an individual from ever seeking a discretionary expungement, streamlines the scenarios of which a person with a juvenile record is eligible to seek a discretionary expungement, and creates a fair catch-all provision for those seeking an expungement to their juvenile record in cases where they were found delinquent in multiple cases, but had not been adjudicated or convicted of another crime since. This allows for eligible juveniles, and adults with only juvenile records, to seek discretionary expungements, wherein the Court would decide whether or not a person had rehabilitated.
