Daily Report for 7/1/2019

Governor's Actions

No legislation is Signed by Governor Today

New Legislation Introduced

No Introduced Legislation

Legislation Passed By Senate

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
HB 30 w/ HA 1SignedSmykUnmanned aircraft systems are capable of introducing contraband into detention facilities without undergoing correctional officer inspections. This bill seeks to prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft systems (drones) to introduce contraband into detention facilities. This bill makes it a class F felony to deliver or attempt to deliver contraband by use of a drone.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
HB 65 w/ HA 2SignedK. WilliamsThis Bill enables the use of roof or ground mounted solar systems on privately owned residential dwellings by making covenants or other restrictions that effectively prohibit or unreasonably restrict the installation of solar photovoltaic systems in Delaware void and unenforceable, regardless of the date recorded. This Bill also explains that it is the policy of the State of Delaware to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by encouraging the development and use of renewable resources and to remove obstacles thereto. This Bill further provides for costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to be awarded to the prevailing party in any litigation arising under the provisions of this Section. This Bill does not render void and unenforceable reasonable restrictions on roof or ground mounted solar systems.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS AND RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS.
HB 228SignedSchwartzkopfThis Act allows Sussex County, by duly enacted ordinance, to impose a local lodging tax of no more than 3 percent of rent on rooms in a hotel, motel or tourist home located in the unincorporated areas of the County. Such funds may only be used in Sussex County for the capital and operating costs of beach nourishment, waterway dredging, economic development, tourism programs, recreational activities, and water quality and flood control projects.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TAXES.
HB 235 w/ HA 3SignedBushThis Act will prohibit political subdivisions of this State from requiring real estate licensees to obtain an additional business license or pay taxes in order to list property for sellers or represent buyers for the purchase of real estate. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REAL ESTATE SERVICES, BROKERS, ASSOCIATE BROKERS, AND SALESPERSONS.
HB 242SignedBushDelaware is currently ranked highest in the nation for form filing fees. This Act ensures that Delaware stays competitive as an insurer domicile by preventing the Insurance Commissioner from charging more than $2000 per filing for form filing fees.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FEES COLLECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE.
HB 246SignedLonghurstThis bill adds the intentional touching of another person with semen to the definition of sexual contact. By doing so, the act of a person intentionally touching another person with semen without consent becomes the crime of unlawful sexual contact third degree.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SEXUAL OFFENSES.
HB 247SignedMichael SmithThis bill removes the 3 year sunset provision that was part of House Bill No. 53, as amended, enacted on May 10, 2018 of the 149th General Assembly. This will allow the on-going use of certain ground-based and hand-held sparklers.AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 242, VOLUME 81 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE RELATING TO SELLING OR POSSESSING FIREWORKS; EXCEPTIONS.
HB 260SignedQ. JohnsonThis Act provides supplementary appropriations to certain Grants-in-Aid for Fiscal Year 2020. Section 1 – Government Units and Senior Center $25,814,321 Section 2 – One-Times and Community Agencies $21,951,119 Section 3 – Fire Companies $6,929,686 Section 4 – Veterans Organizations $358,646 GRAND TOTAL $55,053,772AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR CERTAIN GRANTS-IN-AID FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2020; SPECIFYING CERTAIN PROCEDURES, CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH FUNDS; AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 APPROPRIATIONS ACT; AND AMENDING CERTAIN STATUTORY PROVISIONS.

Legislation Passed By House of Representatives

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
SB 75SignedParadeeThis Act makes the following changes to provisions required in life insurance policies issued in this State: (1) Specifies that a certified copy of an insured's death certificate, or other lawful evidence providing equivalent information, is acceptable as due proof of death. (2) Requires that interest be paid on the death benefit due under a life insurance policy.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PAYMENT OF LIFE INSURANCE CLAIMS.
SB 73 w/ SA 1SignedMcBrideDaylight saving time has existed in one form or another for over 100 years. In that time, Delawareans have become accustomed to the 8 months of daylight saving time each year. This Act provides for Delaware to permanently remain on daylight saving time. This Act achieves this by doing the following: (1) Requiring, in Section 4 of this Act, that the Governor request that the United States Secretary of Transportation place Delaware in the Atlantic standard time zone if Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland each enact a law requesting the Secretary to place their respective state in the Atlantic standard time zone. The Secretary is authorized under 15 U.S.C. § 261 to define the limits of each time zone and thus may place Delaware in the Atlantic standard time zone. (2) Exercising, in Section 2 of this Act, the discretion granted to Delaware under 15 U.S.C. § 260a to exclude itself from daylight saving time. Section 5 of this Act makes clear that this exclusion takes effect on the first Sunday in November once the United States Secretary of Transportation places Delaware in the Atlantic standard time zone. This results in Delaware permanently remaining 1 hour ahead of eastern standard time.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 1 AND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STANDARD TIME FOR THIS STATE.
SB 131SignedBrownThis Act authorizes the State and its counties and municipalities to install and use vehicle height monitoring systems ("vehicle height monitoring system") to assist in the enforcement of applicable State, county, or municipal law regarding motor vehicle size. This Act is patterned after Maryland's vehicle height monitoring system law, under which the City of Baltimore recently implemented an ordinance to use vehicle height monitoring system. This Act does not create a new violation. It does establish the following: - Requirements for the Department of Transportation ("DelDOT") to conduct the initial identification of potential locations for vehicle height monitoring system and analysis of the appropriateness of each location. - Requirements for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security ("DSHS") to select a system vendor for use by the State, counties, and municipalities through an open competitive procurement process. - Requirements for DSHS to approve and install vehicle height monitoring systems on State-maintained roads. - Requirements for a county or municipality to approve and install vehicle height monitoring system on the roads maintained by the county or municipality. A county or municipality must adopt an ordinance before approving or installing a vehicle height monitoring system. - Requirements and maintenance of vehicle height monitoring system, including the designation of a vehicle height monitoring system technician to maintain a daily set-up log for each vehicle height monitoring system in use. Daily set-up logs may be admitted as evidence in any court proceeding for a violation captured by a vehicle height monitoring system. - That the owner of a motor vehicle captured by a vehicle height monitoring system is liable for the violation, unless the owner can demonstrate that someone else was in control or possession of the motor vehicle when the violation occurred. - A civil penalty under this section is limited to $250 for second violations, and $500 for third and subsequent violations. A first violation is subject only to a warning notice, with no fine. - Requirements for the information that must be included in a citation under this section and that a citation must be mailed within 30 days of the violation. - What must be included in an image recorded by a vehicle height monitoring system to use the image as evidence. - Limitations on the consequences of being liable under this section. A violation may not be used to assess points on the person's driver license, recorded on the person's driving record, treated as a parking violation, or considered in the provision of motor vehicle insurance coverage. - The State or a county or municipality may designate a contractor to administer and process citations under this section, but a contractor's fee may not be contingent on the number of citations issued or paid. - That this section does not apply to certain vehicles, such as emergency vehicles or school buses. Under this Act, the owner of a motor vehicle is liable for a violation that occurs while the owner uses the vehicle or an employee of the owner uses the vehicle for the purposes of employment. If, however, a driver other than an employee of the owner violates this Act while using the owner’s vehicle, a mechanism is in place to allow the owner to rebut the presumption that the owner was driving the vehicle at the time of the violation (see line 121).AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SIZE AND WEIGHT OF VEHICLES AND LOADS.
SS 1 for SB 24 w/ SA 1SignedDelcolloThis Substitute differs from Senate Bill No. 24 by requiring a patient to apply for a compassionate use medical marijuana card when a doctor recommends medical marijuana to a patient who does not have a qualifying debilitating medical condition. To apply for a compassionate use card, this Substitute requires: 1. The patient, or it under age 18, the patient’s parent or legal guardian, submit a signed statement attesting to the patient's informed consent to try a treatment that does not have medical evidence of effectiveness. 2. The patient’s physician certify that the patient has a severe and debilitating condition, current standard care practices and treatments have been exhausted, and there are grounds to support that the patient may benefit from this treatment. The physician must periodically re-evaluate the efficacy of the medical marijuana treatment. This Substitute also requires that a registry identification card state the type of card that is issued to clearly identify qualifying adult patients, qualifying pediatric patients, designated caregivers, and compassionate use patients. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
SB 172SignedMcDowellThis Bill is a housekeeping measure to correct the name of the Delaware Technical and Community College as was intended in earlier legislation.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE TECHNICAL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

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

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
HB 73PassedJaquesThis Act is a first leg of a constitutional amendment that would eliminate from the Delaware Constitution the limitations as to when an individual may vote by absentee ballot. This amendment to the Delaware Constitution provides that the General Assembly shall enact general laws providing the circumstances, rules, and procedures for absentee voting.AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE V OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO VOTING.

House Defeated Legislation

No House Defeated Legislation

Nominations Enacted upon by the Senate

No Records