| SCR 86 | Passed | Wilson | This resolution designates April 6, 2022 as "National Tartan Day" and commemorates the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish-Americans to the United States.
When the United States was first formed and the thirteen states selected their first governors, nine were of Scottish ancestry. All the members of the first American cabinet had Scottish ancestry. Delaware's first governor, John McKinly, was born in Northern Ireland of Scottish descent. Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of this country. However, not until 1997 was this influence recognized by a single-year U.S. Senate Resolution that appeared in the Congressional Record of April 7, 1997. In 1998 National Tartan Day was officially recognized on a permanent basis when the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 155 recognizing April 6th as National Tartan Day. This was followed by companion bill House Resolution 41, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 9, 2005. President George W. Bush signed a Presidential Proclamation on April 4, 2008 making April 6 National Tartan Day. In April of 2008, then Governor Minner issued a statement celebrating the accomplishments of Scots-Irish Americans in the First State as part of a Scots/Scots-Irish Heritage Month.
April 6 commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which asserted Scotland's sovereignty over English territorial claims, and which was a significant influence on the American Declaration of Independence.
Canada has been celebrating "National Tartan Day" since 1993. The idea and motivation for creating a similar American holiday was provided by the Scottish Coalition, a group of national Scottish-American cultural organizations. | COMMEMORATING THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY SCOTTISH-AMERICANS TO THE UNITED STATES BY PROCLAIMING APRIL 6, 2022 AS NATIONAL TARTAN DAY. |
| HA 1 to HB 366 | PWB | Morrison | This Amendment substitutes the Commissioner of Elections for the State Treasurer as the proper designee for collecting any prohibited or unlawful campaign contributions to be deposited into the General Fund. | |
| HS 1 for HB 288 | Committee | Morrison | This Act requires private and public employers in the State to give any employee who is a resident of Delaware and scheduled to work at least 7.5 hours on an election day 2 hours of paid leave in order for the employee to exercise the right to vote in person. The Act excludes federal employees, individuals engaged in activities for education, charitable, religious, or nonprofit organizations when the employment relationship does not exist or where services are rendered to such organizations gratuitously, and employees who are party to a collective bargaining agreement in which paid time off to vote has been waived. Employees must give employers 2 working days’ notice in advance of an election that the employee intends to use paid time off to vote. Employers must post notice of the rights created in the Act. Enforcement of the Act is through the Department of Labor. Employers who violate the Act are subject to civil penalties ranging from $500-$1,000 and from $1,000-$5,000 if found to have retaliated against an employee for exercising the rights created by this Act. Employees may bring a civil lawsuit for equitable relief and monetary damages. A prevailing employee may also recover costs and attorney’s fees. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EMPLOYER PAID TIME OFF TO VOTE. |
| SS 1 for SB 143 | Committee | Mantzavinos | Section 1 of this Act creates a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for qualified expenses incurred by a family caregiver (claimant) to assist a qualified family member. To be qualified, a family member must be at least 62 years of age, reside in a private home or residence, require assistance with two or more daily living activities as certified by a qualified physician, and be an immediate family member of the claimant or related by marriage, blood, or adoption to a near degree.
Subject to a number of limitations, a claimant may claim 50% of the costs of qualified expenses the claimant paid for in the year to which the claim relates. Qualified expenses include amounts spent to improve the claimant’s primary residence to assist the family member, on equipment to help the family member with daily living activities, on counseling, support groups, or training relating to caring for a family member, and on obtaining other goods or services to help the claimant care for the family member. In addition, qualified expenses include any other item that relates directly to the health or safety of the family member, as determined by the Secretary of Finance after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The maximum amount of credit that may be claimed each year for a particular family member is $2,000 or $1,000 if married spouses file separately. Only one claimant may make a claim under this section for a particular qualified family member.
In addition, no credit may be claimed by a claimant whose taxable income in the year to which the claim relates exceeds $75,000 if the claimant is single or is married and files separately or $150,000 if the claimant is married and files jointly. Generally under the bill, qualified expenses may not include general food, clothing, transportation, or household repair costs, or amounts that are paid or reimbursed by an insurance company or the government.
The credit first applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. Because the credit is nonrefundable, it may be claimed only up to the amount of the claimant's tax liability.
Section 2 of this Act provides that the Department of Finance shall develop an annual report on the tax credit’s usage.
Section 3 of the Act provides that the tax credit will sunset after three years after its enactment into law, unless otherwise provided by an act of the General Assembly.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO INCOME TAX CREDITS. |
| HA 1 to HB 303 | Stricken | Longhurst | This amendment does the following:
Clarifies that the well visit should include use of a “group of developmentally appropriate mental health screening tools.”
Adds DHSS, the Insurance Commissioner and the Department of Human Resources as ex officio members of the implementation advisory committee.
Clarifies that copays, network requirements, and other provisions of an insurance policy will apply to the mental health well visit as well.
Changes the effective date from January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2024.
Clarifies different ways a carrier may reimburse a provider for the annual behavioral health check by reference to equivalent values in a fee-for-service model. | |
| HA 2 to HB 311 | Passed | Griffith | This Amendment corrects a drafting error so that consistent with federal law, the exemption for religious organizations only applies to requirements to provide reasonable modifications for individuals with disabilities. This Amendment also aligns this exemption with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act by making religious organizations completely exempt from the requirement.
This Amendment also includes the change in House Amendment No. 1, revising the length of time to file a complaint under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law so that instead of extending the deadline from the current 90 days to 1 year, a complaint must be filed no more than 180 days after the occurrence of the alleged discriminatory practice. The 180-day time limit is consistent with the time frames under federal law for filing administrative complaints based on discrimination with the Office of Civil Rights in both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. Maryland and New Jersey also provide 180 days to file a complaint under the state equal accommodations law. | |
