| SB 63 w/ SA 1, SA 2 | Committee | Ennis | This Act limits the use of certain Class B firefighting foams (“Class B foams”) in Delaware. Class B foams are used to put out fires caused by flammable liquids like gasoline, oil, and jet fuel, and can be divided into 2 categories: those with PFAS chemicals and those without.
PFAS chemicals include a range of chemistries with differing properties, which have been widely-used for decades in products other than Class B foams, like food packaging, carpets, and other household items, and in firefighting foam. The use of firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals, however, is an emerging public health challenge to avoid future contamination and reduce exposure to firefighters and Delawareans.
Firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals can get into water wells and drinking water supplies and expose firefighters and others to the chemicals. More studies into the effects of PFAS chemicals are emerging; some of the health effects of exposure to certain PFAS chemicals include pregnancy complications, liver damage, and high cholesterol.
The PFAS chemicals in firefighting foams must be weighed against their particularly-effective nature in fighting liquid fires when mixed with water. To that end, this Act prohibits the use of Class B foams containing intentionally-added PFAS chemicals unless the use is for fire prevention or emergency firefighting. Further, this Act permits the use of such foam for training and testing only if the facility in which the training or testing occurs has implemented containment, treatment, and disposal measures to prevent releases of Class B foams containing PFAS chemicals.
This Act also makes technical changes to Part IV of Title 16, to reflect its current structure more accurately. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FIREFIGHTING. |
| SB 72 | Signed | S. McBride | This Act clarifies that discrimination against any person because of religion is illegal under Chapter 45 of Title 6, the Delaware Equal Accommodations Act. Religion and religious beliefs were always intended to be protected under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Act through the word "creed" and this Act codifies that understanding, consistent with the Superior Court’s decision in Boscov’s Dep’t Store v. Jackson, 2007 Del. Super. LEXIS 37. This Act adds the term “religion” to the list of prohibited bases for discrimination and defines “religion” to include all aspects of religious observance and practice, not just belief.
This Act also updates the forms of communication covered by the Delaware Equal Accommodations Act so the list includes notices or advertisements on television or the Internet.
This Act is known as "The Religious Freedom for All Act".
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EQUAL ACCOMMODATIONS. |
| HCR 11 | Passed | K. Williams | Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a cancer that occurs in the bile ducts in or outside the liver. This Resolution recognizes February 12, 2021 as "World Cholangiocarcinoma Day" in Delaware. | RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 12, 2021 AS "WORLD CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA DAY" IN DELAWARE. |
| SB 40 | Signed | Brown | This bill allows the Court to suspend an amount of the fine for uninsured driving if the defendant provides evidence that they have now secured insurance, demonstrating compliance with the law.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT OF INSURANCE FOR ALL MOTOR VEHICLES. |
| SB 5 | Signed | Gay | This Act creates an automatic voter registration system at the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and grants the State Election Commissioner the authority to implement automatic voter registration at other state agencies that already offer voter registration services under existing law.
This Act stipulates that an unregistered adult citizen who provides proof of U.S. citizenship during a DMV license or identification card transaction will be automatically registered to vote by the Department of Elections, if otherwise eligible for registration.
To ensure the accuracy of voter rolls, this Act also ensures any updated name or address received from a registered voter during a DMV license or identification card transaction will be automatically forwarded to the Department of Elections for the purpose of updating existing voter registration records. Using an existing mailer, the Department of Elections then will notify new registrants of their registration and provide them an opportunity decline registration or affiliate with a political party. Existing registrants will similarly be notified of any update to their registration using an existing mailer and provided an opportunity to undo the change, if necessary. People who register to vote under this automatic system but do not identify a specific political party will be afforded another opportunity to affiliate at the polls during the primary election immediately following their registration.
To prevent ineligible non-citizens from registering to vote, individuals who provide documents establishing non-citizenship during a DMV transaction and individuals applying for the Delaware Driving Privilege Card will not be offered the opportunity to register to vote at the DMV and will not have any information forwarded to the Department of Elections. Unregistered individuals who do not provide proof of U.S. citizenship or proof of non-citizenship during a license or identification card transaction will be offered the opportunity to register to vote during the DMV transaction only if they affirm citizenship and other eligibility requirements, consistent with federal law requirements and existing law.
This Act becomes effective two years after enactment, or five days after the State Election Commissioner certifies to the Governor and the General Assembly that the systems to implement the act are functional, whichever is earlier.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REGISTRATION OF VOTERS. |
| HCR 16 | Passed | Bentz | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 2021 as Rare Kidney Disease Month in Delaware. | RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF MARCH 2021 AS “RARE KIDNEY DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH” IN DELAWARE. |
| SB 89 w/ SA 1 | Signed | Mantzavinos | This Act makes the following changes related to traffic control devices erected on order of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (“Secretary”) limiting the size and weight of vehicles and loads permitted on a specific highway:
(1) Provides definitions of terms used on traffic control devices that limit the size or weight of vehicles or prohibit the operation of trucks or other commercial vehicles on the highway, including terms that provide exceptions to posted prohibitions, including “local service” and “residential service”.
(2) Requires the Secretary, and a municipality exercising its authority under § 134(e) of Title 17 (regarding prohibiting the operation of trucks or other commercial vehicles or imposing limits as to the weight of trucks or other commercial vehicles on designated highways), to submit an order issued under this Act to the Registrar of Regulations for publication in the Register of Regulations and publish the order on the Department’s website.
(3) Clarifies that violation of a traffic control device erected by order of the Secretary is a specific offense.
(4) Increases the monetary penalty for a violation of a traffic control device erected by order of the Secretary over the existing penalty in § 4508 of Title 21.
(5) Makes a subsequent violation of a traffic control device erected by order of the Secretary a moving violation, which results in the Department assessing points on an individual’s license based on the violation. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES FOR SIZE AND WEIGHT OF VEHICLES AND LOADS. |
| SA 1 to SB 63 | Passed | Ennis | This Amendment clarifies a circumstance that this Act may not be construed to restrict. | |
| SA 1 to SB 89 | Passed | Mantzavinos | Due to the nature of height and weight restrictions, exceptions for local service or residential service are not permitted. Currently, height restrictions are imposed by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation ("Secretary") under the general authority to restrict commercial vehicle traffic on certain roads. This Amendment creates special, separate authority for the Secretary to impose height restrictions. This Amendment also requires exceptions for local service or residential service on roads where commercial vehicles are otherwise prohibited. | |
| SA 2 to SB 63 | Passed | Ennis | This Amendment adds a preamble to the bill to articulate the legislative intent of the bill. | |
