Sen. Jack Walsh

This Senate Concurrent Resolution supports the Department of Education's review of the requirements for educator certification and efforts to strengthen these requirements to include demonstrated knowledge of the essential components of evidence-based reading instruction, known as the "science of reading".

This Act clarifies the responsibilities of manufactured home community owners and homeowners for maintenance. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

A disability pension for Delaware State Police officer and County and Municipal police officers and firefighters is only for those first responders who suffer injuries on the job such as being shot or assaulted while effecting an arrest or getting burned while putting out a fire. Many who suffer these injuries while doing their job protecting the citizens of this State are unable to return to their jobs as police officers or firefighters. Under the current law, these officers and firefighters who receive a disability pension and have not reached normal retirement date must report total earnings from any gainful employment or business each year. If the officer or firefighter receives earnings over the current base pay of the officer’s or firefighter’s rank at the time of the disability, such excess must be deducted from the disability pension. However, such provision does not apply to officers and firefighters who have reached normal retirement date. This bill treats officers and firefighters who have not reached normal retirement date the same as those who have by removing the provision that requires a deduction in disability benefits if the officer or firefighter earns more than what the officer’s or firefighter’s base pay was at the time of disability.

This bill prohibits the use of gender, gender identity, or sex as a rating factor in personal automobile insurance policies. The Gender Disparities in Auto Insurance Pricing Report issued by the Delaware Department of Insurance and Consumer Federation of America shows that many insured Delaware women are charged more than men even when all other factors, including drivers’ history, are the same. Six states have similar existing laws: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Section 1 of this Act creates a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for qualified expenses incurred by a family caregiver (claimant) to assist a qualified family member. To be qualified, a family member must be at least 62 years of age, reside in a private home or residence, require assistance with two or more daily living activities as certified by a qualified physician, and be an immediate family member of the claimant or related by marriage, blood, or adoption to a near degree. Subject to a number of limitations, a claimant may claim 50% of the costs of qualified expenses the claimant paid for in the year to which the claim relates. Qualified expenses include amounts spent to improve the claimant’s primary residence to assist the family member, on equipment to help the family member with daily living activities, on counseling, support groups, or training relating to caring for a family member, and on obtaining other goods or services to help the claimant care for the family member. In addition, qualified expenses include any other item that relates directly to the health or safety of the family member, as determined by the Secretary of Finance after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The maximum amount of credit that may be claimed each year for a particular family member is $2,000 or $1,000 if married spouses file separately. Only one claimant may make a claim under this section for a particular qualified family member. In addition, no credit may be claimed by a claimant whose taxable income in the year to which the claim relates exceeds $75,000 if the claimant is single or is married and files separately or $150,000 if the claimant is married and files jointly. Generally under the bill, qualified expenses may not include general food, clothing, transportation, or household repair costs, or amounts that are paid or reimbursed by an insurance company or the government. The credit first applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. Because the credit is nonrefundable, it may be claimed only up to the amount of the claimant's tax liability. Section 2 of this Act provides that the Department of Finance shall develop an annual report on the tax credit’s usage. Section 3 of the Act provides that the tax credit will sunset after three years after its enactment into law, unless otherwise provided by an act of the General Assembly.

This Resolution designates March 24th as Delaware Women and Girls STEM Day to celebrate and empower women and girls in STEM fields and promote STEM literacy and education in Delaware.

This bill criminalizes the possession, sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt of a short-barreled shotgun and short-barreled rifle which is not registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. While it is currently illegal under federal law to possess or build such weapons without registration and payment of the tax, it is not illegal under Delaware law. This bill makes the possession, purchase, receipt or sale or such weapons a Class E violent felony punishable by up to 5 years in jail.

This resolution recognizes March 25 as "Greek Independence Day" in Delaware.

House Bill No. 96 prohibits multiple service charges for residential trash collection service except if the charge is for any of the following: 1. Late or nonpayment of an amount due. 2. Replacement of a container. 3. Collecting waste that cannot be collected using the container. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 96 differs from House Bill No. 96 as follows: 1. It clarifies that a bill may include multiple charges if the charges in addition to basic rate if each additional charge is in compliance with § 2737 of Title 6. 2. Requires that a contract list the basic rate and each additional charge and the amount of the charge. 3. Requires that all charges in a bill that includes a fee allowed under § 2737 of Title 6 be itemized. 4. Requires 90 days notice before a new fee is added, the amount of a fee increases, or the base rate increases and allows a consumer to terminate or not renew the contract with no penalty or additional fee. 5. Clarifies the applicability of this Act. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 2022 as "Rare Kidney Disease Awareness Month" in Delaware.