| HB 163 w/ HA 1, HA 2 | Signed | Baumbach | Currently there are 17 "check-boxes" on the Delaware personal income tax return where taxpayers may designate a portion of their refund or send additional money with their payment due to be credited as a charitable donation to various organizations. The number of organizations has continued to grow over the years without any charities being removed. As a result, a relatively stable total amount of donations is being spread across a larger number of causes, reducing the utility for any single charity and increasing the administrative burden on the Division of Revenue. This bill eliminates the two lowest grossing charitable funds - for the US Olympic Committee and for the Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Trust Fund, and replaces them with Funds for the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children and the United Way of Delaware. It also adds a provision to the code capping the number of permissible charity check-offs on the return at 21. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE INCOME TAX RETURN. |
| HB 235 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Mulrooney | This bill encourages spaying, neutering, and vaccination in order to limit the number of unwanted cats and protect the public from rabies and other diseases carried by unvaccinated animals. The bill defines “free-roaming cats” and also “free-roaming cat caretakers,” who are one or more persons who may provide food, shelter, or medical treatment for free roaming cats without becoming an “owner” for legal purposes. These cats may be released back into the community with an “ear-tip” to mark them as a vaccinated and spayed/neutered. It also adds free-roaming cats to the list of qualifying factors for participation in the state low-cost spay/neuter fund. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 11 AND 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO STERILIZATION, LIFE AND SUSTAINING CARE OF CATS. |
| SB 126 | Signed | Lopez | This Act provides school-based speech-language pathologists and audiologists who hold a current Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology, (“CCC-SLP”) or audiology (“CCC-A”), issued by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association and who hold a current state license to practice from the Delaware Board of Speech Pathologists, Audiologists and Hearing Aid Dispensers with a base salary level of Master’s Plus 30 credits. Professionals who have a CCC-SLP or CCC-A ASHA certification have met the following rigorous academic and professional standards:
1. Successful completion of requisite academic courses by an accredited program.
2. Successful completion of supervised clinical practicum experiences in the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology.
3. Successful completion/passing score on the National Praxis Exam in speech-language pathology or audiology.
4. Successful completion of a Clinical Fellowship.
This Act allows speech language pathologists and audiologists who have completed the course work required by state guidelines to apply for an additional 15 credits to move to the Master’s Plus 45 level.
This Act contains a grandfather clause that allows school-based speech-language pathologists and audiologists in Delaware who have a master’s degree, a current license, and have worked as a speech-language pathologist for 20 or more years but do not have Certificate of Clinical Competence to, be granted the equivalent pay grade of Master’s Plus 30 with the same additional coursework criteria for moving to Master’s Plus 45 level.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE BASIC SALARY SCHEDULE FOR TEACHERS, NURSES, PRINCIPALS, SUPERINTENDENTS, AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEES. |
| HS 1 for HB 179 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Lynn | This Act permits State employees who are employed by the Delaware State Police or Delaware Capitol Police and work in a variety of job titles, all of which are more commonly referred to as "9-1-1 operators," to retire at 25 years without any reduction. Those employees will pay a higher employee contribution rate than other State employees. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE EMPLOYEES' PENSION PLAN. |
| SB 171 | Signed | Henry | Individuals who are released from prison face many hurdles as they re-enter the community, including difficulty obtaining identification documents. Lacking identification imposes additional hurdles as these individuals attempt to find housing and employment. This Act requires the Department of Correction to provide individuals who are being released from the custody of the Department of Correction ("DOC"), after 6 months of incarceration following conviction, with a Delaware Personal Credential Card ("Personal Credential"). An individual may present the Personal Credential to receive one free certified copy of the individual's birth certificate and one identification card or driver's license, if otherwise eligible to receive those documents.
This Act builds on the pilot that has been in place since 2012, when the DOC partnered with the Division of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Health and Social Services to obtain identification for individuals who volunteer to participate in the I-ADAPT re-entry program. Currently, individuals in I-ADAPT receive a Prisoner Re-Entry card, valid for 1 year, that can be used to obtain to obtain a free copy of their birth certificate, if they were born in Delaware, and a free identification card, if otherwise eligible to receive one. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16, TITLE 21, AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FREE IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS BEING RELEASED FROM PRISON. |
| SB 200 | Signed | Lopez | This Act prohibits drilling for oil or natural gas in Delaware’s coastal zone and territorial waters and precludes DNREC from issuing any permits in connection with the development of offshore drilling infrastructure, whether proposed for Delaware territorial waters or waters outside of the State. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OFFSHORE DRILLING AND THE COASTAL ZONE. |
| HB 411 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Schwartzkopf | This Act amends Delaware's existing continuity of government laws as required in conjunction with the adoption of House Bill No. 410, which completes the process to amend Article II, § 5 and Article XVII, § 1 of the Delaware Constitution to adopt an "all hazards" approach to continuity of government planning.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. |
| SB 252 | Signed | Ennis | This amendment would allow for landing areas located in agricultural preservation districts to be used for agriculturally related aerial spraying and applications such as seeding, as well as spraying and applications under government programs such as mosquito and noxious weed control, all subject to the written approval of the Foundation Board. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 3 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT RESTRICTIONS. |
| SS 1 for SB 207 w/ SA 1 | Signed | Hansen | This Substitute Act does all of the following:
(1) Expresses the General Assembly's and Governor's opposition to the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program ("Draft Proposed Program").
(2) Requests the Department of Justice review the Draft Proposed Program, and any other actions taken by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior targeted at approving an oil and gas leasing program, and take any appropriate legal steps to prevent the sale of oil and gas leases off the coast of the State of Delaware.
(3) Directs the Department and the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board to enforce compliance with the Coastal Zone Act.
(4) Directs the Department to review Delaware law to ensure these laws properly reflect Delaware's environmental policy objectives for purposes of their use in the consistency review process under the Coastal Zone Management Act.
(5) Directs the Department to report to the Chair of the Senate Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Committee and the Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee any legislative changes that are identified as necessary.
This Substitute Act differs from the original Act in that it replaces Section 2 and 3 of the original Act with a new Section 2 that provides the Department of Justice with more flexibility to prevent the sale of oil and gas leases off Delaware’s coast. | AN ACT OPPOSING DRILLING OFF DELAWARE'S COAST AND DIRECTING CERTAIN STATE OFFICIALS AND STATE AGENCIES TO ENFORCE DELAWARE'S RIGHTS RELATING TO OFFSHORE DRILLING UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. |
| SB 269 | Signed | Henry | The Riverfront Development Corporation was created by epilogue language in the Fiscal Year 1997 Bond Bill. The Board of Directors of the Riverfront Development Corporation is established by at least three separate provisions of Bond Bill epilogue language in Senate Bill No. 260 of the 138th General Assembly (70 Del. Laws, c. 210, § 41), House Bill No. 467 of the 139th General Assembly (71 Del. Laws, c. 227, § 8), and House Bill No. 550 of the 142nd General Assembly (74 Del. Laws, c. 308, § 40).
This Act codifies the Board of Directors ("Board") of the Riverfront Development Corporation so that this information may more easily be located in the future.
This Act also makes a change to the membership of the Board to add 2 directors to the Board. The 2 new directors will be elected by and serve at the pleasure of the Board. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. |
