| SB 90 | Signed | Gay | This bill modernizes the First State Quality Improvement Fund (FSQIF) Act, using language from the field of continuous improvement and operational excellence to align with current industry accepted practices. This bill provides improved accountability for the management of FSQIF training programs with the inclusion of the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) program team in partnership with the Department of Human Resources in establishing and maintaining rules and regulations for the use of the fund. This bill also establishes a data driven mechanism to allow the Joint Finance Committee to measure the return on investment of the fund on an annual basis. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE FIRST STATE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FUND. |
| SB 99 | Out of Committee | Pinkney | This Act prohibits municipal ordinances that require the eviction of tenants for criminal activity by a tenant, member of the tenant's household, or a guest. This Act does not change a landlord's ability to exercise discretion and evict a tenant for criminal activity or other material lease violations under § 5513 of Title 25 and is consistent with, and avoids conflicts with, the protections for victims of domestic abuse, sexual offenses, or stalking under § 5316 of Title 25.
This Act is a recommendation of the African American Task Force, established under Senate Bill No. 260 (150th General Assembly). In addition, the 2020 Statewide Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, a report produced by the Delaware State Fair Housing Consortium, lists the removal of crime-free housing ordinances and legislation banning such ordinances as one of its goals for ensuring that people within the protected classes have equal access to housing.
Currently, at least 6 municipalities in Delaware have crime-free housing ordinances. Generally, these ordinances require landlords to include an addendum on their lease agreements prohibiting a tenant, member of the tenant’s household, or a guest from committing a criminal activity within a specified distance of their unit. If a tenant, member of the tenant’s household, or a guest commits a certain number of criminal activities within a specified time period, the landlord must initiate eviction proceedings. If a landlord does not file to evict the tenant, the landlord may lose their rental license.
Crime-free housing ordinances are problematic for the following reasons:
1. The definition of criminal activity is generally vague and open to interpretation, and may include low-level offenses such as trespassing, loitering, and disorderly conduct.
2. The standard for what is considered criminal activity does not require an arrest or conviction, and instead, can consist of merely an allegation or contact with the police.
3. These ordinances penalize victims of crime for seeking help from the police.
4. These ordinances can result in evictions of tenants based upon racially motivated complaints by neighbors.
This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a charter issued to a municipal corporation. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 22 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MUNICIPALITIES. |
| SB 111 | Signed | Hansen | This bill clarifies and confirms that utilities and farm customers may enter into contracts, such as power supply agreements, that specify how Excess kWh Credits will be applied at the end of an annual billing period. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITY RESTRUCTURING. |
| SS 1 for SB 102 | Signed | Townsend | This Act closes a loophole in the prevailing wage statute that was being used to pay workers below the prevailing wage by performing work offsite instead of onsite, regardless of whether it was necessary to do so.
This bill also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PREVAILING WAGE. |
| HCR 52 | Passed | Yearick | This concurrent resolution proclaims the week of May 21-27, 2023 as Delaware Grown Week. It has been nine years since the General Assembly first partnered with the Delaware Department of Agriculture to establish this annual observation to facilitate better, healthier relationships between Delaware farmers and local consumers. Delaware Grown Week is celebrated annually the third full week of May. Successful passage of this resolution will continue this worthy collaboration. | PROCLAIMING THE WEEK OF MAY 21ST THROUGH MAY 27, 2023 AS DELAWARE GROWN WEEK. |
| HCR 47 | Passed | Griffith | This resolution recognizes May 29th as ‘DE529 Day’. | RECOGNIZING MAY 29TH AS “DE529 DAY”. |
| HCR 51 | Passed | Wilson-Anton | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and celebrates the contributions, culture, and resilience of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the State of Delaware and the United States. | RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND INFLUENCE OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS ON THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
