| SB 22 | Signed | Hansen | This Act prohibits the import, export, sale, transport, distribution, or propagation of any plant identified by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, with the advice of the Delaware Native Species Commission, as an invasive plant. This Act also requires that plants identified as potentially invasive be sold with a tag that identifies the plant as potentially invasive. A violation of this Act may result in a civil penalty of $50 to $500, but only after the person has had the opportunity for an administrative hearing and the opportunity to come into compliance with this Act.
This Act takes effect July 1, 2022. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 3 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO INVASIVE PLANTS. |
| SB 31 | Approved | Brown | This Act is the second leg of a constitutional amendment to add race, color, and national origin to § 21 of Article I of the Delaware Constitution to explicitly declare that protection against discrimination based on race, color, and national origin is one of Delaware's fundamental rights. The first leg of this constitutional amendment was Senate Bill 191 of the 150th General Assembly, published in Chapter 287 of Volume 82 of the Laws of Delaware. On passage of this second leg by this General Assembly this amendment will become part of the Delaware Constitution.
Since the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, with Delaware ratifying it in 1901, at least 15 states have added a provision to their state constitution that prohibits the denial or abridgement of equal rights under the law based on race, color, or national origin. In 2019, Delaware amended the state constitution to prohibit the denial or abridgement of equal rights under the law based on sex, but no such prohibition exists as to race, color, or national origin.
This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly when the General Assembly amends the Delaware Constitution. | AN ACT CONCURRING IN A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO EQUAL RIGHTS. |
| SB 33 | Signed | Hansen | This Act modifies the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Act to do the following:
(1) Continues increasing the required minimum percentage of electrical energy sales to Delaware end-use customers from renewable energy sources through 2035.
(2) Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
(3) Eliminates “cost-cap” mechanism for freezing the RPS and replaces it with a market-based mechanism.
(4) Clarifies the rulemaking authority for this Act.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY PORTFOLIO STANDARDS. |
| SB 30 | Signed | Poore | This Act amends the Fiscal Year 2021 Bond and Capital Improvements Act to (1) authorize a portion of funding previously allocated to the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation to be used for unrestricted operations; (2) authorize additional reimbursements from the Community Transportation Fund; (3) authorize the Secretary of State to rapidly complete restoration and maintenance projects and sell, transfer or acquire historic buildings and sites; (4) authorize New Castle County Vocational Technical School District to transfer non-obligated funds from Howard High School/1927 Building to St. Georges Technical High School and Delcastle Technical High School; (5) authorize funding previously allocated to the Peoples Settlement Association to be used for additional repairs; (6) authorize funding from the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund to be used for improvements at the Daniel S. Frawley Stadium; (7) authorize prior year contingency funding to ensure timely completion of a system for the Registrar of Regulations; (8) authorize the Department of Transportation to transfer funding for storm related repairs; (9) authorize the Department of Transportation to use Community Transportation Funds to maintain roads in the Knollac Acres community; and (10) authorize prior year contingency funding for the Rose Hill Community Center renovations project.
| AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAWS OF DELAWARE RELATING TO THE BOND AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE AND CERTAIN OF ITS AUTHORITIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2021. |
| SB 42 | Signed | Townsend | This Act suspends the educator evaluation system during the 2020-2021 school year and replaces it with an observation and feedback cycle that provides educators with coaching and support related to hybrid and remote learning practices. This Act provides for all of the following during the observation and feedback cycle:
1. An initial goal setting process, classroom observation, and end-of-year conference.
2. Feedback provided to an educator must be recorded in the Data Service Center platform.
3. Evidence collected and feedback provided during observations may not be used as part of the evaluation cycle or to assign a summative rating for the 2020-2021 school year.
4. Recommendations on performance may not result in a formal improvement plan.
5. Educators must complete only the goal setting form and a verification form.
This Act also provides that formal improvement plans in place for the 2020-2021 school year remain in effect through the next evaluation cycle under this section. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE EDUCATOR EVALUATION SYSTEM. |
