HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 299

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE LIBRARIES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 4502, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 4502. Definitions.

For purposes of this chapter:

(19) “Place of public accommodation” means any establishment which caters to or offers goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations to, or solicits patronage from, the general public, including state agencies, local government agencies, public libraries, and state-funded agencies performing public functions. This definition includes hotels and motels catering to the transient public, but it does not apply to the sale or rental of houses, housing units, apartments, rooming houses, or other dwellings, nor to tourist homes with less than 10 rental units catering to the transient public.

Section 2. Amend § 8733, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 8733. The Delaware Library Consortium.

(d) The Delaware Library Consortium shall develop and adopt common policies concerning collection, development, and other topics in order to ensure equitable access and the right to read for all Delawareans.

Section 3. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the “Delaware Libraries for All Act.”

SYNOPSIS

This Act is the Delaware Libraries for All Act. It explicitly adds “public libraries” to the definition of “place of public accommodation” for purposes of Delaware’s Equal Accommodations Law. It also directs the Delaware Library Consortium to develop and adopt common policies concerning collection, development, and other topics in order to ensure equitable access and the right to read for all Delawareans.