Sen. Bruce C. Ennis

The Kent County Levy Court sets equal compensation for the members and chairpersons of all Kent County boards and commissions in the annual operating budget ordinance. Currently all members of the other boards and commissions are compensated at a rate of $150.00 per meeting attended. Chairpersons are compensated at a rate of $175.00 per meeting attended. This Act will allow the members and Chairperson of the Board of Assessment Review to receive the same compensation as those appointed to all other boards and commissions by the Kent County Levy Court.

This Act is an interstate compact called the Multistate Professional Counselor Licensure Compact, and it facilitates the interstate practice of licensed professional counseling. The Counseling Compact allows a counselor who is licensed in their home state and has not had any encumbrances on their license within the last 2 years to obtain the ability to practice counseling in other states participating in the Compact if the counselor satisfies the requirements, including completion of a criminal background check. A counselor must comply with the rules of any state in which they are practicing. Any state in which the counselor practices has the authority to remove the counselor's ability to practice in their state for a specific period of time, impose fines, and take other actions necessary to protect the health and safety of its citizens. If the counselor's home state license becomes encumbered, the counselor will lose the ability to practice interstate under the Compact until their home state license is no longer encumbered and at least 2 years have passed. Additionally, the Compact establishes protections, including data sharing requirements between participating states to enhance the exchange of licensure, investigative, and disciplinary information among participating states. The Compact establishes a commission to administer the Compact, and establishes that each participating state will have one delegate that serves on the Commission. The Compact also has a special provision to make it easier for active duty military personnel or their spouses who are counselors to practice counseling despite frequent moves. Counselors do not have to participate in the Compact to practice; counselors may choose to only apply for their state's license or to apply for licenses in other states without going through the Compact. The Counseling Compact must be enacted in 10 states to become effective. As of March 26, 2022, the Counseling Compact has been enacted in 6 states. The Compact is pending in 16 other states.

By this Act, Delaware would join the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (the “Compact”). The Compact is an interstate compact, or a formal agreement among states, to facilitate the interstate practice of audiology and speech language pathology. Under the Compact, audiologists and speech-language pathologists (collectively, “practitioners”) who are licensed and in good standing in a Compact member state may practice in any other Compact member states via a “compact privilege,” which is equivalent to a license. This will remove the need for practitioners to get an individual license in each state where they want to practice. The Compact is the same in form and function as other occupational licensure compacts such as the Nurse Multistate Licensure Compact (adopted by Delaware, 24 Del. C. Ch. 19A), the Physical Therapy Compact (adopted by Delaware, 24 Del. C. Ch. 26C) and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (adopted by Delaware, 24 Del. C. Ch. 17A). The Compact authorizes in-person practice and telepractice based on a valid, unrestricted home state license in Compact member states. The Compact has been adopted by 17 states: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The Compact is pending before the legislatures of 9 other states. The Compact establishes a licensure data system allowing for instantaneous verification of licensure information. The Compact also establishes an interstate commission, composed of member state officials, to carry out the Compact’s purposes.

This Act establishes a mental health services unit for Delaware middle schools. The unit is phased in over 3 years, beginning in FY2023, to arrive at a final ratio of 250 full-time equivalent students grades 6-8 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 6-8 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. This bill will lower ratios of students to counselors and increase access to mental health services for middle school students.

A 2017 survey of Delaware high school students found that during the 12 months before the survey the following occurred: (1) 27.6% of the students felt sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks in a row so that they stopped some usual activities. (2) 16.1% of students seriously considered attempting suicide. (3) 12% of students made a plan about how they would attempt suicide. (4) 7.2% of students attempted suicide. This Act increases student awareness of mental health by requiring the Department of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to establish and implement statewide mental health educational programs for each grade, kindergarten through grade 12, in each school district and charter school in this State. Finally, this Act requires the Department of Education to annually report to the Governor and General Assembly regarding the implementation of this Act.

This Act more closely aligns the meaning of agricultural, horticultural, and forestry land use with the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of “farm,” which, since the 1974 Census, has included “any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold . . . during the year.” This alignment will ensure a more equitable tax treatment of farms throughout Delaware. Under this Act, the use qualifies as agricultural, horticultural, or forestry only if, during the applicable year, the use results in $1,000 or more of products being produced or sold, the owner of the land files a Schedule F (Profit or Loss From Farming) form with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, and the use is made on at least 10 acres. “Applicable year” means the calendar year immediately before the February 1 that an application for valuation is due under § 8334(3) of Title 9. This Act keeps the existing Delaware law that allows contiguous parcels to be combined to reach the required threshold. This Act also clarifies that an application for valuation must be submitted on the next official business day if February 1 falls on a weekend day or legal holiday. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including citing to § 8333 within § 8334, both of Title 9, instead of duplicating identical language in 2 places in the Code.

This bill continues the practice of amending periodically the Delaware Revised Uniform Partnership Act (the “Act”) to keep it current and to maintain its national preeminence. The following is a section-by-section review of the proposed amendments of the Act. Section 1. This section amends Section 15-101(14) of the Act. to confirm that a partnership agreement may include or incorporate multiple documents that may govern the business or affairs of the partnership. Section 2. This section amends Section 15-105(c) of the Act to clarify that the execution of a statement or certificate by a person who is authorized by the Act to execute such statement or certificate constitutes an oath or affirmation that, to the best of such person’s knowledge and belief, the facts stated therein shall be true at the time such statement or certificate becomes effective, not at the time such statement or certificate is executed. Section 3. This section amends Section 15-124(b) to confirm that a signature on a certificate of partnership interest may be a manual, facsimile, or electronic signature. Section 4. This section amends Section 15-901(h) of the Act to provide that the approval of a conversion to a partnership in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the other entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable law, as appropriate, and the approval of the partnership agreement by the same authorization required to approve the conversion, are required to occur prior to the time a certificate of conversion to partnership becomes effective. Section 5. This section amends Section 15-904(g) of the Act to provide that the approval of a partnership domestication in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the non-United States entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable non-Delaware law, as appropriate, and the approval of the partnership agreement by the same authorization required to approve the domestication, are required to occur prior to the time a certificate of partnership domestication becomes effective Section 6. This section provides that the proposed amendments to the Act shall become effective August 1, 2022.

This bill continues the practice of amending periodically the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the “Act”) to keep it current and to maintain its national preeminence. The following is a section-by-section review of the proposed amendments of the Act. Section 1. This section amends Section 17-101(14) of the Act to confirm that any registered series or protected series of a limited partnership is bound by the partnership agreement of such limited partnership regardless of whether the series executed the partnership agreement. This amendment is not intended to imply that other references to “limited partnership” in the Act do not include protected series or registered series thereof (to the extent required by the context). This section also amends Section 17-101(14) of the Act to insert a new clause c. to confirm that a partnership agreement may include or incorporate multiple documents that may govern the business or affairs of the limited partnership or any of its series. Section 2. This section amends Section 17-113(b) to confirm that a signature on a certificate of partnership interest may be a manual, facsimile, or electronic signature. Section 3. This section amends Section 17-204(d) of the Act to clarify that the execution of a certificate by a person who is authorized by the Act to execute such certificate constitutes an oath or affirmation that, to the best of such person’s knowledge and belief, the facts stated therein shall be true at the time such certificate becomes effective, not at the time such certificate is executed. Section 4. This section amends Section 17-215(g) of the Act to provide that the approval of a limited partnership domestication in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the non-United States entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable non-Delaware law, as appropriate, and the approval of the partnership agreement by the same authorization required to approve the domestication, are required to occur prior to the time a certificate of limited partnership domestication becomes effective. Section 5. This section amends Section 17-217(h) of the Act to provide that the approval of a conversion to a limited partnership in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the other entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable law, as appropriate, and the approval of the partnership agreement by the same authorization required to approve the conversion, are required to occur prior to the time a certificate of conversion to limited partnership becomes effective. Section 6. This section amends Section 17-1110(b) of the Act to make conforming changes. Section 7. This section amends Section 17-1111 of the Act to (i) clarify the effect of the filing of a certificate of revival of limited partnership on any protected series of such limited partnership that are not, at the time of such filing, otherwise terminated and wound up and any registered series of such limited partnership whose certificates of registered series are not, at the time of such filing, otherwise cancelled, and (ii) make other conforming changes. Section 8. This section provides that the proposed amendments to the Act shall become effective August 1, 2022.

This bill continues the practice of amending periodically the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “Act”) to keep it current and to maintain its national preeminence. The following is a section-by-section review of the proposed amendments of the Act. Section 1. This section amends Section 18-101(9) of the Act to confirm that any registered series or protected series of a limited liability company is bound by the limited liability company agreement of such limited liability company regardless of whether the series executed the limited liability company agreement. This amendment is not intended to imply that other references to “limited liability company” in the Act do not include protected series or registered series thereof (to the extent required by the context). This section also amends Section 18-101(9) of the Act to insert a new clause c. to confirm that a limited liability company agreement may include or incorporate multiple documents that may govern the business or affairs of the limited liability company or any of its series. Section 2. This section amends Section 18-109(b) of the Act to provide that when service of process is being effected on a manager or liquidating trustee of a limited liability company, the Prothonotary or the Register in Chancery of the court in which the civil action or proceeding is pending shall address the required copies and statements to the manager or liquidating trustee of the limited liability company at the principal place of business of the limited liability company (if such address is known) and to the manager’s or liquidating trustee’s address last known to the party desiring to make such service. Section 3. This section amends Section 18-113(b) to confirm that a signature on a certificate of limited liability company interest may be a manual, facsimile, or electronic signature. Section 4. This section amends Section 18-204(d) of the Act to clarify that the execution of a certificate by a person who is authorized by the Act to execute such certificate constitutes an oath or affirmation that, to the best of such person’s knowledge and belief, the facts stated therein shall be true at the time such certificate becomes effective, not at the time such certificate is executed. Section 5. This section amends Section 18-212(g) of the Act to provide that the approval of a limited liability company domestication in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the non-United States entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable non-Delaware law, as appropriate, and the approval of the limited liability company agreement by the same authorization required to approve the domestication, are required to occur prior to the time a certificate of limited liability company domestication becomes effective. Section 6. This section amends Section 18-214(h) of the Act to provide that the approval of a conversion to a limited liability company in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the other entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable law, as appropriate, and the approval of the limited liability company agreement by the same authorization required to approve the conversion, are required to occur prior to the time a certificate of conversion to limited liability company becomes effective. Section 7. This section amends Section 18-1108(b) of the Act to make conforming changes. Section 8. This section amends Section 18-1109 of the Act to (i) clarify the effect of the filing of a certificate of revival of limited liability company on any protected series of such limited liability company that are not, at the time of such filing, otherwise terminated and wound up and any registered series of such limited liability company whose certificates of registered series are not, at the time of such filing, otherwise cancelled, and (ii) make other conforming changes. Section 9. This section provides that the proposed amendments to the Act shall become effective August 1, 2022.

This bill would create a pilot program whereby motorcyclists are permitted to use flashing headlights as a way to alert other drivers of their presence, without allowing the use of flashing lights that would otherwise be used on emergency vehicles. The bill aims to protect motorcyclists on Delaware’s roads and has a sunsetting provision that will allow time for further traffic studies to determine the effectiveness of this pilot program.