Sen. Gerald Hocker

The language set forth in this statute would remove barriers for inmates who are students with disabilities and who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under state and federal law, when being considered for parole or a sentence modification. Requiring an inmate with an IEP to complete a GED or State of Delaware High School Diploma is counter-productive to the treatment and programming of this segment of the prison population and prohibits them from seeking the same benefits of parole or sentence modification afforded to those inmates who do not have an IEP. This amendment to the law allows an inmate the opportunity to earn a State of Delaware Diploma of Alternate Achievement Standards upon successful completion of the inmate's IEP.

The Delaware Advisory Council on Career and Technical Education received $331,700 out of the Delaware General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017. Based upon a simple cost benefit analysis weighed against the budget issues Delaware is facing, it is clear these funds would produce greater benefits if utilized elsewhere. This bill will eliminate this annual expenditure by terminating this Committee via a total repeal of Chapter 86 of Title 14 of the Delaware Code.

This Act replaces House Bill No. 285 and, in so doing, removes provisions of House Bill No. 285 related to creating an order of relinquishment process for removing firearms or ammunition from an individual subject to a report from a mental health provider under § 5402 of Title 16 as these provisions are now exclusively contained in House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 302. This Act retains provisions of House Bill No. 285 that do the following: (1) Improve the structure and process related to the Relief from Disabilities Board. (2) Require that information regarding individuals who are declared guilty but mentally ill is reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Checks System (NICS). (3) Require that an individual who is voluntarily admitted for inpatient treatment at a psychiatric treatment facility be informed of the individual’s rights and options as a voluntary patient. (4) Clarify that an individual who is emergently detained must be treated the same as an individual who is subject to a provisional admission and may not be considered involuntarily committed for any legal purpose. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act clarifies that the Public Advocate may appear before any federal or state court or federal or state administrative body in matters involving public utility rates, service, practices, and energy policy. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act requires the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to direct 35% of the funds from the auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative CO2 allowances to the Sustainable Energy Utility and 30% of the funds to the Water Infrastructure Advisory Council. This Act then requires the Water Infrastructure Advisory Council to develop and recommend projects to the General Assembly that are to be funded by these funds, consistent with § 8011(e) of Title 29. This Act further requires that these funds be expended only as authorized by the annual bond and capital improvement act or other act of the General Assembly. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act would facilitate EV and grid-integrated electric vehicle interconnection by including the Society of Automotive Engineers industrial safety standard, J3072, which sets safety requirements for EVs that provide power from their batteries back to the electric grid.

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 places a constitutional limitation on base general fund operating appropriations. However, appropriations deemed as emergencies involving the health, safety, or welfare of the citizens of the State that are approved by three-fifths of the members elected to each House of the General Assembly are not included in the limitation.

This Act corrects the language regarding veterans who received a general discharge under honorable conditions to be consistent with federal law and makes the surviving spouses of eligible veterans eligible for assistance from the Delaware Veterans Trust Fund.

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.