Daily Report for 2/25/2020

Governor's Actions

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
HB 152 w/ HA 1SignedSpiegelmanIn 2014, the General Assembly created an ignition interlock device program under §§ 4177C and 4177G of Title 21 of the Delaware Code (“IID program”). The IID program provides individuals whose license or driving privileges have been revoked following a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs the ability to drive during their revocation period while putting measures in place to protect the public. This Act closes a loophole in the IID program that allows a person to avoid installing an IID in certain circumstance and makes changes to §§ 4177C and 4177G to ensure the provisions are consistent and operate in harmony with each other. This Act also adds a provision clarifying the process for the reinstatement of an individual’s license or driving privileges after the individual has been disqualified from the IID program. Finally, this Act makes numerous technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislation Drafting Manual, including to ensure consistency of language throughout the provisions included in this Act.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE REQUIREMENTS.
HB 212 w/ HA 1 + SA 1 + HA 5, HA 1 to HA 5 + SA 2, SA 3SignedCookeThis bill defines “industrial landfill” in conformity with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Regulations Governing Solid Waste. This bill also establishes a height restriction, or vertical limit, for an industrial landfill at 130 feet above the mean sea level of the area.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL.
SB 195 w/ SA 1SignedWilsonThis Act revises the Charter of Greenwood as follows: Section 1. Revises the procedures used by the Town to annex property. Section 2. Authorizes the Town to cancel Town Council meetings and authorizes the use of electronic communication methods to notify council members of special meetings. Section 3. Clarifies that a majority vote is needed for the Town Council to take action. Quorum is calculated based on a majority of all the sitting council members, exclusive of any vacant council seats. Section 4. Clarifies that the Town documents its proceedings via meeting minutes. Section 5. Sets $50,000 as the maximum contract amount that the Town can enter into without public bidding and clarifies the Town’s procedures for evaluating bids and awarding contracts. Section 6. Specifies that the Mayor may vote on all matters, not just when there is a tie vote, revises the Mayor’s duties, and establishes procedures for appointing individuals to committees. Section 7. Updates the duties of the Town Council Secretary. Section 8. Revises the terms of employment for the Town Manager and other employees. This section clarifies that town employees, except for the town manager and police department employees, are at will employees that are hired for an indefinite employment term. This section also eliminates duties of the Town Manager that are obsolete and clarifies that the Town Manager does not have to serve as the Town Treasurer. Section 9. Eliminates the need of the town solicitor to have an office in Sussex County. Section 10. Revises the terms of employment for the Chief of Police, including the possibility of the Chief of Police having an employment contact. Section 11. Updates the Town’s debt collection procedures to clarify the outstanding charges that can be added to tax bills and collected. This section also limits the maximum interest rate on delinquent amounts to 1.5% per month. Section 12. Eliminates duplicate language and requires the Town Council to adopt a resolution approving the final assessment list, including all additions to tax bills. This section also clarifies that the annual tax list includes additions to tax bills incorporated into the annual assessment list. Section 13. Authorizes the amount of outstanding debts to remain a lien against a property beyond the 10 year time limit if the property is still owned by the same owner against whom the charges were originally assessed. The section enlarges the time for paying taxes to 60 days and reduces the penalty for unpaid taxes to 1.5% per month. This section also clarifies the collection costs that can be recovered by the Town and eliminates obsolete collection procedures. Section 14. Eliminates the Town’s ability to regulate activities on the Sabbath Day and clarifies the Town’s ability to establish fines and penalties for outstanding water and sewer accounts. Section 15. Repeals existing procedures for opening and closing streets and enacts simpler procedures for the Town to follow. Section 16. Clarifies the Town’s ability to install new sidewalks. Section 17. Adds additional purposes for which the Town may borrow money and requires public hearing details to be included in a resolution proposing to borrow the money. This section also provides more detail on the procedures to follow when holding a special election to vote on the town borrowing money and creates procedures and authority for the Town to borrow up to $100,000 without going through the public hearing process. It also authorizes the Town to publish a notice of the borrowing that gives members of the public 60 days to challenge the borrowing. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF GREENWOOD.
HB 264SignedBaumbachThis Act represents one of the recommendations of the Local Service Functions Task Force created by House Concurrent Resolution No. 54. This Act revises the process by which the New Castle County tax rate for owners of real property in municipalities is calculated to reflect fire company contributions made by the municipality. This process does not consider as an in-kind contribution from New Castle County or a municipality the property tax that a fire company does not pay because real property owned by fire companies is exempt from taxation. Because no property tax is due, it is not an amount that either New Castle County or a municipality is waiving. This Act is effective immediately for New Castle County’s fiscal year 2021.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NEW CASTLE COUNTY PROPERTY TAX RATES AND MUNICIPALITIES.

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