| Economics |
| Increased
the minimum wage from $6.15/hour to $6.65/hour, effective January
1, 2007, and from $6.65/hour to $7.15/hour effective January
1, 2008. SB 62 |
| Amended
the Delaware Bank Franchise Tax to encourage major banks to
locate their charters in Delaware. SB 249 |
| Requested
that the Governor and the Director of the Delaware State Housing
Authority retain a consultant to consider whether the Delaware
State Housing Authority’s structure, function, and policies
are aligned with the best management practices in the industry
as well as to address the future of affordable housing opportunities
in Delaware. HCR 73 |
| Permitted
consumers to “freeze” access to their credit files.
Would eventually require that consumer-authorized access to
credit histories take no longer than 15 minutes. Provided an
identity theft victim the right to request that a police report
be prepared regarding such crimes. SS 1 for SB 109 |
| Created
identity theft "passports" for persons who are victims
of identity theft and have filed police reports regarding such
thefts. HB 334 [Prime sponsor – Schooley] |
| Increased
the exemption in bankruptcy proceedings from $5,000 to $25,000
for personal property. Created exemptions in an amount not to
exceed $50,000 in equity in the debtor’s principal residence,
and for a debtor’s motor vehicle and tools used for purposes
of employment. SB 143 |
| Granted
pension increases to retired State Employees, retired Judges,
retired “New” State police and retired County/Municipal
Police/Firefighters on July 1, 2006 for persons retired on or
before June 30, 2005. SB 396 |
| Addressed
various abuses and uncertainties relating to the exercise of
the State’s power of eminent domain and the protection
of private property rights. SB 217 |
| Increased
the number of video lottery machines permitted at horse racing
tracks, and the hours during which they may be operated. Also
increased to $1 million the funds earmarked for treatment of
problem gamblers. HB 332 |
| |
| Education |
| Mandated
full-day kindergarten in Delaware by 2008. SB 251 |
| Established
a $20,000,000 line-of credit for the Department of Education
to assist the Christina School District achieve a balanced budget.
SB 307 |
| Implemented
enhanced financial accountability provisions for public school
districts and charter schools, and provided for financial training
for school board members. SB 308 |
| Eliminated
multi-tiered diplomas in Delaware, establishing instead, a single
diploma for all students who graduate in 2008 and thereafter.
HB 3 |
| Implemented
the Delaware Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED) Program
by allocating previously appropriated funds to the scholarship
program. HB 263 |
| Created
a class size task force to study those school districts which
have been granted waivers for maximum student/teacher ratios
and to study programs in Delaware and other states that provide
funding for smaller class sizes. HCR 46 w/ SA 1 [Prime sponsor
– Schooley] |
| The
Governor established a task force to address the shortage of
Speech/Language Pathologists (SLPs) in Delaware, by finding
ways to recruit and retain more SLPs and by instituting an SLP
degree-granting program at an in-state university. EO No. 84
|
| Required
the Department of Education to develop a regulation requiring
each local school district and charter school to assess the
physical fitness of each student at least once at the elementary,
middle and high school level. HB 372 |
| |
| Children |
| Created
a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) process to examine
social, economic, cultural, safety and health system factors
associated with fetal and infant death. SB 157 |
| Extended
the Delaware Healthy Children Program to include dental health
care for children enrolled in the program. HB 235 |
| Established
a requirement that every hospital in the state perform universal
newborn and infant hearing screening activities. This Act also
provided that such screening shall be covered by health insurance
policies issued in Delaware. HB 205 [Prime sponsor – Schooley] |
| Increased
the statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases from two to
six years beginning when the victim, as an adult, recovers memory
of the abuse or learns that the abuse is the cause of emotional
or physical difficulties. HB 450 |
| |
| Energy
and Environment |
| Appropriated
$5,000,000 to the State’s school districts and charter
schools for energy cost increases. SB 242 |
| Appropriated
$2 million from the general fund to the Delaware Energy Assistance
Program and directed the Secretary of Health and Social Services
to submit a report to the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget and the Controller General projecting the long-term
needs of the DEAP. SB 280 |
| Appropriated
$8.0 million for energy efficiency programs. SB 281 |
| Required
the PSC to investigate whether utilities are receiving consolidated
tax benefits and whether those benefits are being passed on
to consumers. SB 286 |
| Ensured
that all new development in the Mill Creek, Little Mill Creek,
Red Clay Creek, White Clay Creek, Persimmon Creek and Shellpot
Creek watersheds of New Castle County is required to manage
increased volumes of stormwater runoff as a result of land use
changes. SS 1 for SB 357 |
| Allowed
the State to procure electricity in the retail or wholesale
market. HB 5 |
| Allowed
electric distribution companies, subject to Public Service Commission
approval, to own and operate electricity generating facilities.
Required integrated resource planning to demonstrate how the
electric distribution company intends to supply the demand for
electricity in its service territory for customers not taking
service from an alternative electric supplier. Deferred certain
rate increases for residential and small commercial customers
of DP&L beginning May 1, 2006. HB 6 |
| Required
the Office of Management and Budget and the Controller General
to issue a RFP to hire an independent consultant to issue a
study that recommends a process to re-regulate electric power
in the State by December 2006. SS 1 for SJR 3 |
| |
| Health
and Safety |
| Directed
the Director of the Division of Public Health to establish a
sterile needle and syringe exchange pilot program in the City
of Wilmington to help prevent the spread of AIDS and other diseases.
SB 60 |
| Outlawed
salvia divinorum and includes it as a Schedule I controlled
substance with other hallucinogenic substances. SB 259 |
| Required
recommending HIV testing for women in the third trimester of
pregnancy who are deemed to be at high risk for acquiring HIV.
SB 368 |
| Amended
the Delaware Landlord-Tenant Code by permitting tenants who
are domestic violence, sexual offense or stalking victims to
terminate their leases early for safety reasons. SB 274 |
| Increased
the minimum age for a Level 1 Learner’s Permit from 15
years, 10 months to 16 years of age; makes the program 18 months
long, adopting the restrictions of the current 1 year program.
HB 256 |
| Established
an Animal Population Control Program, which mandates the pre-adoption
spaying/neutering of dogs and cats, establishes a spay/neuter
fund to support administration of the program, and sets out
fines and penalties for failure to comply. HB 425 |
| |
| Issues
addressed which did not become law |
| SB
146 - Creates a statewide health insurance purchasing pool. |
| HB
359 – Removes the “needs” requirement and
moves Delaware from being a “may issue” state where
total discretion is vested in one judge in each county to a
state where a law-abiding citizen of good character, is of sound
mind, has successfully completed the required course of instruction
and successfully completed a complete criminal background check
may obtain a concealed carry permit without regard to race or
gender. |
| HS
1 for HB 36 – Prohibits discrimination against persons
on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment, public
works, contracting, public accommodations, and insurance. |
| HB
181 - Repeals mandatory minimum sentences relating to violations
of our drug laws. |
| SS
1 for SB 2 - Creates restrictions upon the use of credit information
in the provision of insurance for automobiles, motorcycles,
boats and personal watercraft, recreational vehicles, homeowners,
etc. |
| SB
362 - Comprehensively reforms Delaware’s workers’
compensation law. |
| SB
225 – Establishes a framework for a statewide residential
curbside recycling system and provides the opportunity for local
communities, municipalities, and counties to establish residential
curbside recycling programs. |
| SS
1 for SB 288 - Intended to both encourage conservation and help
low income families who use relatively small amounts of electricity. |
| SB
291 - Clarifies the responsibilities of the Corrections Department,
its correctional officers, and the medical service provider’s
personnel; and mandates inoculations and testing for all inmates
who are medically prepared to receive them on intake among other
things. |
| SB
55 - Provides for State reimbursement to Delaware National Guard
members serving on active duty for group life insurance premium
payments. |
| SB
95 - Provides that amounts received by retirees from military
and national guard pensions are exempted from personal income
taxation. |
| HB
371 - Prohibits committing disorderly conduct near a military
funeral, memorial service, funeral procession, or burial and
establishes penalties. |
| SB
94 - Would include the General Assembly as a “public body”
covered by the Freedom of Information Act. |
| SB
293 - Allows mothers who are breastfeeding their child(ren)
to defer their jury service until they are no longer breastfeeding. |
