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Daily Report for 3/21/2024

Governor's Actions

No legislation is Signed by Governor Today

New Legislation Introduced

Bill	Current Status	Sponsor	Synopsis	Title
HS 1 for HB 304 w/ HA 1	Out of Committee	Romer	This Act mandates that all individuals who have received a conditional offer of employment with DTI and any contractor or third party that requires access to DTI systems, facilities, or data, must undergo a state and federal criminal background check through the State Bureau of Identification. This Substitute bill clarifies that only individuals who have received a conditional offer of employment must submit to a background check, rather that all those individuals that have applied. It also removes the requirement that individuals submitting to background checks are responsible for the costs of those background checks.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
HS 2 for HB 55	Committee	Phillips	This Act is the Bill of Rights for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness to ensure that all individuals, regardless of housing status, have equal opportunity to live in decent, safe, sanitary, and healthful accommodations and enjoy equality of opportunities. To that end, this Act sets forth the rights of individuals experiencing homelessness and creates a process by which the State Human and Civil Rights Commission and the Division of Human and Civil Rights may accept and investigate complaints of discriminatory treatment, attempt conciliation, and refer enforcement actions to the Department of Justice where necessary. This Substitute differs from the original House Bill No. 55 in that it expands the definition of “individuals experiencing homelessness” to include those who may be staying with different friends or family without a permanent home and it eliminates a reference to voting rights, since such rights are addressed elsewhere in the Code.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 AND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS.
HA 1 to HS 1 for HB 253	Passed	K. Williams	This amendment deletes a provision from HS 1 for HB 253 that prohibits any mammogram facility from refusing to provide a mammogram for self-referred patients. This amendment instead requires that facilities either provide a mammogram for self-referred patients or refer such patients to a hospital or outpatient facility with the resources to not only provide a mammogram, but also assist the patient with understanding the results and arranging appropriate follow-up care. This amendment makes no changes to the requirements for insurance companies to provide coverage for self-referred mammograms.
HS 1 for HB 270 w/ HA 1	Committee	K. Williams	This Act creates a civil penalty for any sale or display of ammunition that allows the ammunition to be accessible to a purchaser or transferee without the assistance of the vendor or an employee of the vendor. Ammunition in an enclosed display case, behind a counter or other customer access preventing device is not considered accessible for purposes of this section. This Act also requires that a deadly weapons dealer must include with their license application and renewal application a description of their theft and loss prevention policies and procedures as well as a report of all ammunition losses or theft within the prior year. Finally, the Act increases the maximum monetary penalty for violation of the provisions requiring a license to sell deadly weapons, sale to those under 21 or intoxicated persons, failing to keep required records, or failing to comply with the requirements for background checks between unlicensed persons. It takes effect 1 year after its enactment. This House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 270 differs from the original in the following ways: It specifies that information related to theft and loss prevention policies and procedures is not subject to FOIA It changes the word “person” to “licensee” in sections 902 and 905. It specifies that the content of loss and prevention policies are not a basis for denial of a deadly weapons dealer license. It reduces all of the monetary penalties. It removes the shoplifting enhancement. It changes jurisdiction over the offense from JP Court to the Court of Common Pleas.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 11 AND 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO AMMUNITION.
SB 23	Committee	Huxtable	Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as in-law units or garage apartments, are valuable and convenient forms of housing that can help to increase Delaware's housing supply. This Act requires local governments to permit the construction of ADUs within their jurisdictions without prohibitive barriers or onerous application or zoning requirements with the goal of expanding affordable housing opportunities. This Act carries a 2/3 vote requirement as it may indirectly affect municipal charters.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HOUSING.
SB 247	Committee	Huxtable	This Act creates a clearer and workable system for ensuring that manufactured home communities with health and safety violations and conditions that threaten the health and safety of people in the community cannot continue to raise rents on residents without fixing the conditions and providing a safe community for its residents.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MANUFACTURED HOUSING.
SB 254	Committee	Brown	This Act creates the Delaware Grocery Initiative. It directs the Office of State Planning Coordination (“Office”) to study food insecurity in urban and rural food deserts. The Act defines a food desert and directs the Office to expand access to healthy foods in food deserts by providing financial assistance to grocery stores, independently owned for-profit grocery stores, cooperative grocery stores, non-profit grocery stores as well as grocery stores owned and operated by local governmental units. The Act provides the Office with authority to enter into contracts, grants, or other agreements to administer grants and other financial support, including technical assistance. It further authorizes the Office to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to implement and administer this initiative.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FOOD DESERTS.

Legislation Passed By Senate

Bill	Current Status	Sponsor	Synopsis	Title
SB 166	Committee	Walsh	This Act allows for the delivery of alcoholic liquors from a restaurant, brewpub, tavern, taproom, or other entity with a valid on-premise license. In addition, this Act provides that the acts of a licensed consumer delivery permittee or a delivery driver are not attributable to the retailer.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS.
HS 1 for HB 162 w/ HA 3	Passed	Lynn	House Bill 162 authorizes the process of natural organic reduction to be used in this State. Natural organic reduction is the gentle, respectful process that accelerates the decomposition of human remains to soil. This process uses large vessels to hold human remains together with straw, wood chips, or other natural materials for about 30 days. The human remains and organic materials, mixed together with warm air, are periodically turned and the process eventually results in reduction of the human remains to a soil material that can then be provided to the deceased individual's family. Natural organic reduction is considered a more eco-friendly cremation alternative, forgoing the usage of formaldehyde and the release of carbon dioxide and mercury into the atmosphere. The process also uses 1/8 the energy of cremation. Section 3 removes "and by the Attorney General or a deputy attorney general" from § 3163 of Title 16, which was overlooked when Chapter 164 of Volume 68 of the Laws of Delaware was enacted, removing similar language in § 3159 of Title 16. Section 12 of this Act replaces the citation to § 3162 of Title 16 with a citation to § 3159. Section 3162 was transferred to § 3159 when Chapter 31 was reenacted by Chapter 274 of Volume 68 of the Laws of Delaware, but this citation was overlooked. This Act takes effect the earlier of 1 year from the date of the Act's enactment or notice in the Register of Regulations that final regulations to implement this Act have been adopted. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 28 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to expand the scope of an existing crime within the jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas, Family Court, or Justice of the Peace Court. This Substitute No. 1 to HB 162 adds requirements to those already set forth in HB 162 for natural organic reduction facilities and changes the permissible chemical limits for final remains after natural organic reduction. This Substitute also sets forth circumstances that preclude remains from being admitted to a natural organic reduction facility. This Substitute defines “final remains” and “last remains” identically in Title 12 of the Delaware Code to allow for the use of either phrase throughout that Title. This Substitute also makes typographical and technical corrections to conform existing and drafted law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 9, 12, 16, 24, AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUMAN REMAINS.
HB 15 w/ HA 1	Signed	Longhurst	This Act requires all individual, blanket, and group health insurance policies to cover annual ovarian cancer screening tests for women at risk for ovarian cancer. It further expands the scope of monitoring tests available to women subsequent to ovarian cancer treatment.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OVARIAN CANCER.
SB 235	Out of Committee	Hansen	This Act brings the State in compliance with the federal regulation published by FMCSA on October 7, 2021, to establish a national drug and alcohol clearinghouse as mandated by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). This act established requirements for Division access to and use of driver-specific drug and alcohol program violation information contained in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The Act prohibits the Division from issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring a commercial driver license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP), as applicable, for any individual prohibited under FMCSA regulations from driving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), due to one or more drug and alcohol program violations. In addition, the Division must, upon notification that a driver is prohibited from operating a CMV due to a drug and alcohol program violation, initiate the downgrade process to remove the CLP or CDL privilege from the driver’s license within 60 days. This Federal requirement must be enacted by states by November 18, 2024.	AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 26, TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL DRIVERS LICENSE ACT.
SB 236	Committee	Hansen	This bill: (a) extends the expiration date for any new issuance or renewal of an ADA placard from 3 years to 8 years for a specific person with a diagnosis of a permanent disability and changing the minimum age from 85 to 80 years or older, (b) extends the validity for a temporary disability from 5 weeks to 180 days, and (c) defines additional medical professionals acceptable to certify a disability application.	AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES AND PARKING PERMITS.
HCR 96	Passed	Griffith	This House Concurrent Resolution designates the 21st day of the Month of March 2024 as “Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day” and celebrates the beauty and contributions that people with Down syndrome make in Delaware.	RECOGNIZING MARCH 21, 2024, AS "ROCK YOUR SOCKS FOR WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY."
HCR 97	Passed	Baumbach	This House Concurrent Resolution proclaims the month of April 2024 as “Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month” in the State of Delaware.	PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2024 AS “SIKH AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION MONTH” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
HCR 99	Passed	K. Johnson	This House Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 21st, 2024, as "Rosie the Riveter Day" in the State of Delaware.	RECOGNIZING MARCH 21ST 2024 AS "ROSIE THE RIVETER DAY" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Legislation Passed By House of Representatives

Bill	Current Status	Sponsor	Synopsis	Title
HB 328	Committee	D. Short	Senate Bill No. 288 of the 151st General Assembly (Chapter 371 of Volume 83 of the Laws of Delaware) created a pilot program whereby motorcyclists are permitted to use pulsating headlights as a way to alert other drivers of their presence, without allowing the use of flashing lights that would otherwise be used on emergency vehicles. SB 288 contained a sunset clause providing that the pilot program would expire on January 1, 2025, unless the General Assembly took action to extend or remove the sunset clause. This Act extends the sunset clause until June 30, 2030. The main reason for the extension is that many motorcycle owners have and are continuing to replace their lights with LED technology... up until 2024 the technology of a modulating device was not available for the LED lights only standard lighting had that option. To be able to better see if the pulsating lighting is effective the pilot program should be extended to adequately gauge what the new LED systems effectiveness is.	AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 371, VOLUME 83 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE RELATING TO MOTORCYCLE SAFETY.
SCR 128	Passed	Richardson	This Concurrent Resolution recognizes Christian Holy Week and Passover in the State of Delaware.	RECOGNIZING CHRISTIAN HOLY WEEK AND PASSOVER IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Senate Committee Assignments

House Committee Assignments

Senate Committee Report

No Senate Committee Report

House Committee Report

No House Committee Report

Senate Defeated Legislation

No Senate Defeated Legislation

House Defeated Legislation

No House Defeated Legislation

Nominations Enacted upon by the Senate