| SCR 131 | Passed | Brown | This Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes May 2024 as "Older Americans Month" in the State of Delaware. | RECOGNIZING MAY 2024 AS "OLDER AMERICANS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| SB 272 | Committee | Poore | Pharmacists in Delaware provide some of the same medical services as physicians, advance practice registered nurses, and physician assistants, including immunizations. The General Assembly has recently added to the services that pharmacists may provide, including prescribing birth control, testing and treating for a variety of conditions, and prescribing pre-exposure and post-exposure HIV prophylaxis. However, health insurance plans do not currently recognize pharmacists as a provider type that may seek reimbursement for these services, despite already providing coverage for the same services if they were obtained from other providers. This could lead to many pharmacists not providing such expanded services due to the lack of insurance coverage.
This Act requires health insurance providers to provide the same reimbursement to pharmacists that is already provided other providers performing the same services at the same rates as advance practice registered nurses and physician assistants.
This bill also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 18 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE, AND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PHARMACIST CARE. |
| HA 2 to SB 3 | PWB | S. Moore | This Amendment does all of the following:
(1) Clarifies that a qualified voter who is duly registered has an absolute right to vote by absentee ballot without an excuse.
(2) Clarifies that a qualified voter who desires to cast an absentee ballot must request an absentee ballot from the Department of Elections for each election cycle, unless the qualified voter is granted permanent absentee status. This State’s current absentee voting law authorizes permanent absentee status for various reasons (see § 5503(k) of Title 15 of the Delaware Code) and this Amendment adopts those reasons.
(3) Clarifies that early, in-person voting for the general election, a primary election, and a special election is to occur on 10 calendar days before the date of the general election, primary election, and special election, including the Saturday and Sunday immediately before the election. | |
| HB 382 | Committee | Heffernan | This Act requires that public school students receive a vision screening, including a test for color blindness, in kindergarten. Students must also receive vision screenings at appropriate intervals in grades 1 through 12, to be determined by the DOE. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO VISION SCREENING. |
| SA 1 to SB 251 | Passed | Hansen | This Amendment adds a representative of the State Board of Veterinary Medicine to the Delaware Veterinarian Medicine Education Advisory Council. Because the addition of a member gives the Advisory Council an odd number of members, this Amendment also removes language that prohibited the Advisory Council's chair from voting unless a tiebreaking vote was needed. This Amendment also corrects a technical error. | |
| SA 1 to SB 255 | PWB | Walsh | This Amendment removes the authorization of the Attorney General to bring an action to collect wages under the Wage Payment and Collection Act.
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| SS 1 for SB 245 | Committee | Huxtable | The Office of Foreclosure Prevention and Financial Education and the Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program were created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to assist homeowners at risk of foreclosure or already navigating the foreclosure process. Originally intended as temporary programs, the need for these programs is as critical as ever for those facing the loss of their homes. The programs have proven to be important resources in preserving home ownership and educating homeowners on their rights and responsibilities in times of economic contraction and in times of economic expansion. As a result of their successes, the General Assembly has extended the programs multiple times. It is clear that the need for these programs will continue for the foreseeable future. In recognition of this reality, this Act removes the expiration dates from the programs.
Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 245 makes the following substantive changes:
(1) It adds a requirement that the notice of intent to foreclose include the phone number for the Delaware Attorney General’s Foreclosure Hotline and the contact information for Delaware State Housing Authority’s foreclosure prevention programs.
(2) The required notice of intent to foreclose now directs homeowners to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department Certified Housing Counselors for assistance.
Like Senate Bill No. 245, Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 245 also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE AND THE OFFICE OF FORECLOSURE PREVENTION AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION. |
| SA 2 to SS 1 for SB 221 | Passed | Wilson | This Amendment does the following:
- Adds correction officers and probation and parole officers to the list of positions that qualify for a flag under this Act and names the Department of Correction as the entity that provides flags for these added positions. The Department of Correction will provide flags for probation and parole officers in both the Department of Correction and Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families.
- Names the Delaware Fire Prevention Commission as the entity that provides flags for volunteer or paid members of a fire department.
- Corrects a technical error. | |
| SA 1 to HB 209 | Stricken | Pettyjohn | This amendment allows rental companies, shared vehicle owners, and peer-to-peer car sharing programs to recover damages relating to the loss of use of a rental vehicle or shared vehicle. This amendment also allows a rental company to recover the damages from a third party. | |
| HA 1 to HB 311 | PWB | Romer | This Amendment adds that the prohibition of possession of a firearm in a Safe School Zone does not apply to any individual who is in possession of a firearm in or upon any part of the buildings or grounds of a college or university if the individual has written authorization from the administration of the college or university, or a designated representative of the administration. | |
| HS 2 for HB 350 w/ HA 1 | Committee | Longhurst | This Act creates the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board, which will be responsible for an annual review of hospital budgets and related financial information. The Board will have 7 members: 6 appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, and the Executive Director of the Delaware Healthcare Association. This Act creates a requirement that hospitals submit yearly budgets, audited financial statements, and related financial information to the Board for review.
Where a hospital fails to meet the state’s budget benchmark for increases in hospital costs it is required to engage with the Board on a performance improvement plan. If the Board and the hospital cannot agree on an improvement plan or where the hospital fails to successfully implement a performance plan, the Board may require the hospital to have its future budget approved by the Board. The submission of hospital budget and financial information will begin in 2025 for calendar year 2026. In reviewing performance improvement plans or proposed budgets, the Board will consider adherence as closely to the spending benchmark as is reasonable given the hospital’s financial position and associated economic factors, the promotion of efficient and economic operations of the hospital, and maintenance of the hospital’s ability to meet its financial obligations and provide quality health care.
As a temporary measure until the Board begins operations, hospitals are required to charge no more than 250% of Medicare costs to any payer for hospital services in calendar year 2025.
This Substitute Bill incorporates all of the following changes which were incorporated into House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 350:
It provides additional detail regarding the operation of the Board, budget modifications, and provides an appeal right to the Superior Court.
It changes the application of the definition of hospital to exclude psychiatric facilities.
Because hospitals may have different fiscal years, the deadline for the Board to issue a final decision on a budget is changed to 90 days before the start of a hospital’s fiscal year rather than a fixed date.
The confidentiality provisions for hospital records have been updated.
Technical corrections have been made.
In addition, House Substitute No. 2 contains the following changes:
It adds a performance improvement plan process as an interim step prior to requiring a hospital to submit a proposed budget for approval or modification by the Board. With this change, the Board will only accept and review budget information in its first year of operation in 2025. In 2026, it may direct hospitals to submit a performance improvement plan.
It exempts hospitals that are exclusively rehabilitative hospitals.
It changes the composition of the Board as set forth above.
It exempts hospitals who derive 45% or more of their revenue or whose patient population has 5% or less Medicare patients from the 2025 reference pricing provision.
It extends the interim reference pricing period to include 2026 and prohibits balance billing in reference pricing period. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HOSPITAL COSTS. |
| SB 274 | Committee | Pettyjohn | Affordable housing is key to building strong communities and neighborhoods. This act provides that the developer of a residential subdivision is provided a percentage credit towards the expense of offsite improvements to state-maintained highways consistent with the percentage of units set aside for affordable housing in a residential subdivision project. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 17 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ACCESS TO STATE-MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS. |
| SB 275 | Committee | Townsend | The purpose of this Act is to combat aggressive driving and dangerous speed differentials on targeted roadways. This Act prohibits vehicles from traveling in the left lane on the portions of State Route 1 or Interstate 495 that are an express highway, as defined in § 101 of Title 17, or a controlled access facility, as defined in § 172 of Title 17, except in any of the following circumstances:
(1) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing overtaking and passing another vehicle.
(2) When necessary to enter, leave, or continue on the roadway.
(3) When necessary due to an obstruction.
(4) When necessary in response to emergency conditions.
(5) When necessary due to traffic conditions or congestion.
(6) To comply with other law or regulation.
In addition to being prohibited from traveling in the left lane, a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of more than 26,000 pounds is further restricted to traveling only in the right-hand lane except in the same circumstances as when a vehicle may travel in the left lane.
An operator who refuses, fails, or neglects to comply with § 4114A is subject to a civil penalty as follows:
(1) For a first occurrence, a civil penalty of not less than $25 nor more than $75.
(2) For a subsequent occurrence, a civil penalty of not less than $57.50 nor more than $95.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DRIVING ON A ROADWAY. |
| SA 2 to HB 209 | Defeated | Pettyjohn | This amendment allows rental companies, shared vehicle owners, and peer-to-peer car sharing programs to recover damages relating to the loss of use of a rental vehicle or shared vehicle. This amendment also allows a rental company to recover the damages from a negligent party. | |
