| HB 46 | Signed | Bush | This bill reflects the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s revisions to the Model Credit for Reinsurance Act giving the Commissioner express regulatory authority to address the handling and treatment of reinsurance agreements entered into, directly or indirectly, with life and health insurer-affiliated captives, special purpose vehicles or similar entities, including the authority to promulgate model regulations adopted by the NAIC that are required for the Department to meet accreditation. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CREDIT FOR REINSURANCE. |
| HB 47 | Signed | Bush | Delaware’s capital and surplus requirements for insurers have been in place for over fifty years and are currently among the lowest in the country. This bill increases the minimum amount of capital stock and free surplus an insurer must possess and maintain in order to transact business in the State of Delaware, making them more in line with other jurisdictions. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO AUTHORIZATION OF INSURERS AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. |
| HB 48 | Signed | Bush | This bill expands record retention requirements for licensed producers, adjusters and appraisers from 3 to 5 years. The bill also makes technical changes to conform to the Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO RECORD RETENTION REQUIREMENTS. |
| HB 53 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Griffith | This bill removes the requirement that a head or assistant head of any Division of the State Department of Justice or the Chief Prosecutor of a particular county be a resident of the State of Delaware. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. |
| HB 69 | Signed | Lynn | This Act eliminates the requirement of a daily average of no less than 25 full time employees to operate a beer garden. Beer gardens are presently the only liquor establishments that have a statutory staffing requirement. This Act also includes beer gardens along with taprooms and taverns as establishments the Commissioner may deny a license if an existing same establishment is within 1200 feet, by accessible public road in an incorporated city or town, or 9/10 of a mile in an unincorporated or rural area. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BEER GARDENS. |
| HB 92 | Signed | Carson | This Act requires drivers to change lanes or reduce their speed while approaching a stationary vehicle displaying warning signals, including vehicle hazard warning lights, road flares, traffic cones, cautions signs, or any non-vehicular warning signs. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO RULES OF THE ROAD. |
| SB 86 | Signed | Sokola | Currently, every adult operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle is required to have a helmet in their possession and wear eye protection while operating or riding a motorcycle and every person up to 19 years of age must wear a helmet and eye protection.
This Act requires that everyone who obtains a new endorsement for a motorcycle on or after the effective date of this Act, or someone riding with the newly endorsed person, to wear a helmet and eye protection for the first 2 years after the newly endorsed person receives the endorsement.
In 2022, Delaware experienced 10 motorcycle fatalities where the rider was not wearing a helmet. Over the last 5 years, among crashes involving a Delaware licensed motorcycle rider, 25% of fatal and serious injury crashes involved a rider in their first 2 years of having a motorcycle endorsement. Helmets and eye protection are already required for those operating with a temporary motorcycle instruction permit as required under § 2703 of Title 21 of the Delaware Code and no passengers are allowed.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia currently require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. According to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helmets are highly effective in protecting motorcycle riders’ heads in crashes and significantly reduce deaths and serious head injuries in crashes.
This Act creates a civil penalty for violation of the helmet law, both the existing law and the law created by this Act. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RULES OF THE ROAD. |
| SB 89 | Signed | Mantzavinos | This Bill allows for the use of green lights on state owned and operated snow removal equipment and vehicles during winter weather operations. Studies have shown green lights are more visible to the traveling public during winter weather conditions. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EQUIPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES. |
| SB 68 | Signed | Gay | This Act revises Delaware’s child safety seat requirements which currently requires an “appropriate” car seat or booster. Under this Act, children under 2 years and under 30 pounds must be seated in a rear-facing seat with a 5-point harness. Children under 4 years and under 40 pounds must be seated in either a forward facing or rear-facing seat with a 5-point harness. Children between the ages of 4 and 16, must be seated in a booster based upon the manufacturer’s guidelines or a seatbelt.
This Act removes the existing fine for the first offense and requests law enforcement to provide a referral to the Office of Highway Safety car seat fitting station for guidance and education regarding proper use of a child restraint.
Under this Act, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security is required to implement an awareness campaign within 180 days of enactment. The remainder of the Act will not take effect until 1 year following its enactment. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OCCUPANT PROTECTIONS. |
| HCR 50 | Passed | Gray | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes the special relationship between Bethany Beach and Périers, France and the liberation of Périers in World War II. | RECOGNIZING THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BETHANY BEACH AND THE TOWN OF PÉRIERS IN NORMANDY, FRANCE, AND THE LIBERATION OF PÉRIERS IN WORLD WAR II. |
| SS 1 for SB 83 w/ SA 1 | Signed | Brown | This Act creates the Delaware Community Investment Venture Fund to develop opportunities for banking organizations and credit unions doing business in Delaware to better serve the needs of low to moderate income tracts in Delaware. The source of funds will be transfers from the Delaware State Bank Commissioner Regulatory Revolving Fund (established in Section 105 of Title 5), which currently has an amount in excess of that needed to cover the operating expenses of the Office of the State Bank Commissioner. The initial transfer will be up to $2.5 million, plus another $250,000 for expenses. Thereafter, additional transfers of up to $500,000 each fiscal year are authorized. No further transfers are authorized after June 30, 2028, unless further legislation is approved by the General Assembly. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 5 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT VENTURE FUND. |
| SA 1 to SS 1 for SB 83 | Passed | Brown | This amendment makes the following two changes to Senate Substitute No. 1 to Senate Bill No. 83:
(1) It removes the requirement that the Delaware Community Investment Venture Fund be established within the State Treasury to allow for flexibility.
(2) It adds a provision about standard cash management practice which makes clear that interest earned by the Delaware Community Investment Venture Fund is to be credited to the Fund.
| |
