Daily Report for 3/12/2024

Governor's Actions

No legislation is Signed by Governor Today

New Legislation Introduced

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
HS 1 for HB 149CommitteeCollins This Act requires personal income tax brackets to be annually adjusted for cost-of-living increases. This will prevent tax rate increases resulting from cost-of-living pay increases that push lower income taxpayers into higher tax brackets. This is referred to as "bracket creep". Cost-of-living pay increases are intended to offset inflation and not create a greater tax burden on lower income taxpayers. Social justice requires that lower income taxpayers should not face both inflation and higher tax rates at the same time. This Act will be effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PERSONAL INCOME TAXES.
HB 341CommitteeShupeThis Act prohibits the following: (1) An appropriation for a grant-in-aid to a nongovernmental entity that employs a member of the Joint Finance Committee, as the Joint Finance Committee is charged with preparing the annual grants-in-aid act. (2) An appropriation for funding under the annual capital improvement act to a nongovernmental entity that employs a member of the Joint Committee on Capital Improvement, as the Joint Committee on Capital Improvement is charged with preparing the annual capital improvement act.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO AN APPROPRIATION TO AN ENTITY EMPLOYING A MEMBER OF THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE OR JOINT COMMITTEE ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
HB 343CommitteeYearickThis Act reduces the State's rate of realty transfer tax by .25% per year for 4 years, for residential property conveyances having a property value less than $500,000, and for commercial property convenances having a property value less than $1,000,000, starting January 1, 2025. After January 1, 2028, the State's realty transfer tax rate will be the same rate as it was prior to August 1, 2017 for these conveyances.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DECREASING THE STATE'S REALTY TRANSFER TAX RATE OF TAXATION.
HS 1 for HB 22CommitteeYearickSchool personnel report that school safety is a significant issue that affects whether or not they stay in the profession. This Act makes recklessly or intentionally causing physical injury to an employee, contractor, or subcontractor of a public or private elementary school or secondary school an assault in the second degree. This Act may be cited as “The School Personnel Protection Act”. This Act is a substitute for and differs from House Bill No. 22 by specifying that the person must recklessly or intentionally cause physical injury to the employee, contractor, or subcontractor while on school property or at a school-sponsored event in order for the provision to apply. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ASSAULT.

Legislation Passed By Senate

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
SB 200 w/ SA 1 + HA 1SignedSokolaThis bill provides important consumer protections for property insurance contracts by improving the reliability of mailed notifications of policy cancellation or renewal. Section 1 of this bill requires insurers to deliver any homeowners’ notices of cancellation or nonrenewal by USPS certified mail or USPS Intelligent Mail barcode. Further, whereas currently an insurer can cancel or non-renew a policy because of two non-weather-related claims over the lifetime of the policy, this legislation provides a reasonable claims lookback period for non-weather-related claims, as is already the case for claims in other portions of this subsection of the Code. Section 2 of this bill precludes an insurance carrier from refusing to renew a homeowners’ policy based on non-weather claims unless 2 or more claims occur within the 36-month period immediately preceding the expiration of the current policy period.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROPERTY INSURANCE CONTRACTS.
SJR 4 w/ HA 2SignedHoffnerThis Joint Resolution directs the Division of Motor Vehicles to opt into the FMCSA’s federal exemption that allows for first time CDL applicants seeking a school bus only endorsement on their driver’s license. An applicant’s school bus only endorsement would only apply to intrastate operation of a school bus. The Division of Motor Vehicles is directed to implement this policy by May 1, 2024. DIRECTING THE DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO OPT INTO A FEDERAL EXEMPTION TO DEVELOP A "SCHOOL BUS ONLY - COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE".
SA 1 to SB 200PassedSokolaThis amendment revises Senate Bill No. 200 to remove the requirement that notices related to nonpayment of premium and offers to renew a homeowners policy be delivered by certified mail or USPS Intelligent Mail barcode. As amended, Senate Bill No. 200 will now require that only cancellation notices unrelated to nonpayment of premiums and notices of an insurer’s intent not to renew be delivered by certified mail or USPS Intelligent Mail barcode. The amendment further clarifies that insurers are required to retain proof of mailing of all notices under Section 4122(b) and (c), regardless of the manner of delivery, for a period of not less than one year. Finally, this amendment extends the lookback period during which an insurer can consider nonweather related claims in determining whether to non-renew a policy to 60 months. 
HCR 90PassedBoldenThis House Concurrent Resolution designates March 12, 2024 as "Equal Pay Day" in the State of Delaware.DESIGNATING MARCH 12, 2024 AS "EQUAL PAY DAY" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Legislation Passed By House of Representatives

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
HA 1 to HB 282PassedBaumbachThis Amendment does all of the following: 1. Restores the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources as a member of the State Employee Benefits Committee (Committee). 2. Makes the Controller General a non-voting member of the Committee and allows the Controller General to designate the Deputy Controller General to attend meetings of the Committee or a subcommittee. 3. Makes a technical correction to existing law to provide explicit authority for Committee members serving by virtue of position to select a designee. 
SCR 119PassedTownsendThis concurrent resolution establishes the Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force.ESTABLISHING THE STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND SCHOOL CLIMATE TASK FORCE.
SCR 122PassedS. McBrideThis resolution designates the week of March 11 through March 15, 2024, as “Civic Learning Week” in the State of Delaware to encourage schools and civic organizations to hold educational programs regarding civic duty and urge Delawareans to reflect upon the importance of their civic duty and responsibilities. DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF MARCH 11 THROUGH MARCH 15, 2024, AS “CIVIC LEARNING WEEK” IN DELAWARE.
HA 3 to HB 281PassedBaumbachThis Amendment allows a plan under Medicare part C, a Medicare Advantage Plan, as an option for eligible pensioners who are first hired on or after January 1, 2025, if the plan is initially selected and adopted by the State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC) as a regulation under the Administrative Procedures Act. In addition, Sections 4 and 5 of this Amendment add, by reference, the procedural requirements added to § 9602(d) of Title 29 if House Bill No. 282 (152nd) is enacted. 
HA 2 to HB 282PassedBaumbachThis Amendment makes this Act effective on January 1, 2025. 
HA 1 to HB 279PassedHeffernanThis amendment makes a technical correction to a cross-reference. 

Senate Committee Assignments

Committee
Education
Elections & Government Affairs
Executive

House Committee Assignments

Committee
Administration
Education
Health & Human Development
Judiciary
Revenue & Finance

Senate Committee Report

No Senate Committee Report

House Committee Report

Committee
Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce
Natural Resources & Energy
Revenue & Finance
Transportation

Senate Defeated Legislation

No Senate Defeated Legislation

House Defeated Legislation

No House Defeated Legislation

Nominations Enacted upon by the Senate

No Records