Daily Report for 6/29/2018

Governor's Actions

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
SB 101 w/ SA 2 + HA 1SignedWalshEvery year, over 100 million animals are used as subjects of scientific and medical research, as well as for educational purposes. As recently as 2015, over 19,000 cats and over 61,000 dogs were used in research. In Delaware in 2015, 82 cats and 85 dogs were used in research. While some dogs and cats are still obtained from Class B dealers, most dogs used in research today are bred either in laboratories or by private companies that sell strictly to labs. After these animals are used, they may be euthanized even though they may still be healthy and suited for adoption. This Act requires research facilities that receive public funding to offer their cats and dogs for adoption instead of euthanizing them when they are no longer needed. Permitting private placement adoptions allows students or staff members of the institution to adopt these animals directly without waiting for a formal adoption process through the rescue organization or shelter. For dogs and cats not adopted by students or staff, this Act creates a clear path to transition cats and dogs from the laboratory or testing facility to an adoption center by requiring the research institution to enter into a contract with an animal rescue group or shelter that can offer these animals the possibility of living out the rest of their lives in a loving home.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO RETIRED RESEARCH ANIMALS.
HB 310 w/ HA 1, HA 2 + SA 1SignedM. SmithThe Certification of Adoption of Sustainability and Transparency Standards Act (the “Act”) establishes a voluntary disclosure regime to foster dialogue around sustainability and responsibility among participating Delaware business entities and their various stakeholders. Because issues relating to sustainability and responsibility are fact-specific and fact-intensive and may vary greatly depending on, among other things, the size of the entity, the nature of its business and operations, and the industry in which it operates, the Act does not prescribe specific standards, measures of performance or criteria for evaluating performance. Rather, consistent with the enabling approach of Delaware business laws generally, the Act requires the governing body of each entity seeking certification under the Act to adopt principles, guidelines and standards to guide its business activities in a sustainable and responsible manner, as well as metrics for assessing whether it has met its objectives. Although Section 5003D of the Act grants the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Secretary of State”) the authority and discretion to provide the form of application for certification under the Act, the Act does not contemplate that State officers will make qualitative judgments regarding the standards or metrics that an entity adopts. The Act also does not contemplate or require that State officers determine qualitatively whether an entity has been operated in a sustainable and responsible manner. The Secretary of State's certification is focused on information acknowledged by an authorized representative of the entity regarding its adoption of procedures to operate sustainably and responsibly and its commitment to disclose, at least annually, such procedures. To that end, Section 5003D of the Act requires an entity applying for certification under the Act to make disclosures regarding the sustainability and responsibility standards it has adopted, the metrics it uses to evaluate whether it has met those standards, and its performance in meeting those standards. The Act is entirely voluntary. The decision whether to seek certification is in the sole discretion of each entity. The Act imposes no obligations on any Delaware entities that have not elected certification. (Of course, any person or entity that misrepresents an entity's certified status may be subject to civil or criminal fines or penalties.) The Act does not impose fines or penalties on entities that elect not to seek certification, nor does it impose penalties or fines on entities that, having become certified, fail to satisfy their own performance standards. Moreover, the Act specifies that fiduciary liability shall not be imposed as a result of, among other things, the decision whether or not to seek certification or the failure to meet specific sustainability and responsibility standards. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE CERTIFICATION OF ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY STANDARDS BY DELAWARE ENTITIES.
HB 369 w/ HA 1SignedOsienskiThis Bill expands the offense of falsifying business records by including the act of altering or modifying and creating false medical records. Currently, no specific statute exists to prevent a person from falsely creating, altering, or modifying a medical record. Expanding the offense of falsifying business records to include medical records will be a useful tool for combating healthcare provider fraud, protecting patients, and assisting patients in ensuring the integrity of their medical records.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE FALSIFICATION OF BUSINESS RECORDS.
SB 177SignedEnnisThis Act brings Delaware sex offender registration laws into compliance with the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act ("SORNA") by standardizing the tier designation of sex offenders are assigned based upon offense of conviction. This Act removes discretion previously granted to the Board of Parole to redesignate sex offenders and standardizes designation in a manner consistent with established Superior Court precedent. See State v. Brown, 2013 WL 2149882 (Del. Super. 2013); Lane v. Board of Parole, 2012 WL 5509711 (Del. Super. 2012). Finally, this Act streamlines the designation process by directing review to the Superior Court in the first instance. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REGISTRATION OF SEXUAL OFFENDERS.
HB 405SignedSchwartzkopfThis bill is intended to facilitate the growth and expansion of Delaware licensed craft alcoholic liquor companies within the State by permitting them to ship product manufactured on their licensed premises to entities under common ownership and control, as defined. This bill is not intended to unconditionally except craft alcoholic liquor companies from the traditional “three-tier” system.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALCOHOL.
HS 1 for HB 222 w/ HA 3SignedBentzThis Substitute Act incorporates House Bill No. 222, and also makes the following changes to House Bill No. 222: (1) Creates a new Chapter of Title 10, which permits a family member or a law enforcement officer to obtain a lethal violence protective order. (2) Permits a family member or law enforcement officer to obtain an emergency lethal violence protective order in Justice of the Peace Court if the Court finds probable cause to believe that a respondent poses an immediate and present danger of causing physical injury to self or others by owning, possessing, controlling, purchasing, having access to, or receiving a firearm. The order requires the relinquishment of firearms to law enforcement and may prohibit the individual from residing with others who possess firearms, and grant permission to law enforcement to search for and seize firearms. If an emergency order is issued, the Superior Court must hold a full hearing within 15 days. (3) Makes clear that the Justice of the Peace Court and the Superior Court may, as part of an lethal violence protective order, order an individual not to reside with a 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. (4) Permits a respondent to request termination of the order in Superior Court wherein the respondent has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent does not pose a danger of causing physical injury to self or others by controlling, owning, purchasing, possessing, having access to, or receiving a firearm. (5) Creates sanctions for a person who provides false information in the affidavit or verified pleading in order to obtain a lethal violence protective order. (6) Creates sanctions for a person who violates a lethal violence protective order by adding lethal violence protective order to Section 1271A of Title 11, making a violation of the order Criminal contempt. (7) Changes the effective date of this Act to 6 months after its enactment.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LETHAL VIOLENCE PROTECTION ORDERS.
SB 202 w/ SA 1SignedPettyjohnThis Act ensures that the spouses of those killed in the line of duty are able to receive benefits for the remainder of their lives regardless of future marital status. When a surviving spouse remarries, the surviving spouse's benefit is reduced to 90% of the original benefit for the first 10 years after the remarrying and must be reduced to 75% of the original benefit thereafter until the death of the surviving spouse. Spouses of fallen first responders should not be forced to make decisions to carry on with their lives based on financial considerations.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATNG TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS.
HB 433SignedK. WilliamsThis Act expands the pathways to entering an alternative routes for teacher licensure and certification program (“ARTC”) casting a wider net in order to attract a diverse pool of qualified candidates into the field of education as the need for teachers, particularly in critical needs areas, has increased. It also clarifies district and charter school responsibilities and ARTC program provider responsibilities, to assure proper supports are in place. Under this Act, attainment of final licensure and certification is contingent on meeting all ARTC program requirements, demonstrating effective teaching based on a state-approved evaluation system, and attaining passing scores on applicable and available approved content readiness exams and a performance assessment. These exit requirements hold ARTC participants to the same high standards for final licensure and certification as those entering the field from a typical teacher pre-service program. This Act also makes technical corrections to confirm existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EDUCATOR LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, EVALUATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND PREPARATION PROGRAMS.
HB 445SignedMiroThis bill makes a technical correction to House Bill 53 enacted earlier this session. It would make the original intent clear that these firework devices can be sold and used on July 4, December 31, and January 1.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FIREWORKS; EXCEPTIONS.
HB 443 w/ HA 1SignedBradyThis Act permits the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to renew or extend the term of a construction permit under certain circumstances. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PERMITS.
SB 236SignedMcDowellThis Act appropriates $49,167,700 to provide a $500 one-time salary supplement to full-time and part-time employees, to provide a $400 pension supplement to pensioners and provides one-time funded projects through the Office of Management and Budget.AN ACT MAKING A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION TO PROVIDE A ONE-TIME SALARY SUPPLEMENT FOR STATE EMPLOYEES, TO PROVIDE A ONE-TIME PENSION SUPPLEMENT FOR STATE PENSIONERS AND TO PROVIDE ONE-TIME APPROPRIATIONS TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET.
SB 235SignedMcDowellThis Bill is the Fiscal Year 2019 Appropriation Act.AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE EXPENSE OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2019; SPECIFYING CERTAIN PROCEDURES, CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH FUNDS; AND AMENDING CERTAIN PERTINENT STATUTORY PROVISIONS
SJR 5SignedMcDowellThis Resolution provides the official revenue, refund, and unencumbered funds estimates for Fiscal Year 2018.THE OFFICIAL GENERAL FUND REVENUE ESTIMATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018.
SJR 6SignedMcDowellThis Resolution provides the official revenue, refund, and unencumbered funds estimates for Fiscal Year 2019.THE OFFICIAL GENERAL FUND REVENUE ESTIMATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019.

New Legislation Introduced

No Introduced Legislation

Legislation Passed By Senate

No Legislation Passed By Senate

Legislation Passed By House of Representatives

No Legislation Passed By House

Senate Committee Assignments

No Senate Committee Assignments

House Committee Assignments

No House Committee Assignments

Senate Committee Report

No Senate Committee Report

House Committee Report

No House Committee Report

Senate Defeated Legislation

No Senate Defeated Legislation

House Defeated Legislation

No House Defeated Legislation

Nominations Enacted upon by the Senate

No Records