Ten bills from the House were pre-filed this week and assigned to House Committees:
- HB 75 introduced by Helene Keeley — From the website: “House Bill 75, sponsored by Rep. Helene M. Keeley, D-Wilmington South, would allow competent adults to receive visits in a hospital, nursing home or nursing facility from any person they choose. The measure would not overrule a facility’s visitation policies that are based on the patient’s medical condition, visitation hours or a court order. Facilities would be required to honor the patient’s advance health care directives regarding visitation.” This bill has 20 House co-sponsors and 7 so-sponsors in the Senate.
- HB 73 introduced by Rep. Jaques: Makes multiple changes to the Delaware National Guard Educational Benefits program. Section 1 requires State-supported institutions to charge members the in-state rate for tuition and fees regardless of the members’ state of residence. Sections 2 and 3 make changes to allow members to pursue master’s degree programs. Section 4 allows members to receive a grade less than a 2.0 on an individual course, but requires members to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher in order to receive reimbursement. Finally, Section 5 provides that, if funding is not appropriated to fully support the program, the reimbursement for master’s degree programs will be reduced before any reductions to members applying for associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs.
- HB 72 introduced by Rep. Cathcart: This bill gives the Division of Motor Vehicles the ability to suspend the driver license of a registered sex offender if the registered sex offender does not report to the Division for an updated driver license
- HB 69 introduced by Rep. Booth: This bill seems to create a training and certification program for Direct Care employees involved with long-term care facilities. It sets out the requirements for training before certification, and while providers have to pay the cost of training, this bill would also establish a subsidy for these courses (one half of the total cost) paid for by the DOE.
- HB 67 introduced by Rep. Walls: Increases the penalties for illegally hunting wild turkeys to a class B environmental misdemeanor, punishable for a first offense by a fine of $250.00 to $1,000.00, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.(Currently a class D environmental misdemeanor, punishable for a first offense by a fine of $25.00 to $100.00, imprisonment for up to five days, or both.) This effort looks to try to support the ongoing Wild Turkey Restoration program.
- HB 66 introduced by Rep. Booth: Requires that felons seeking State employment may not be hired until after a one-year waiting period, which begins upon completing all the requirements of sentencing.
- HB 65 introduced by Rep. Booth: Increases the size of Sussex County Council from 5 members to 7 members.
- HB 64 introduced by Rep Booth: Allows small businesses in the State, such as school bus contracting businesses, to participate in the State Group Health Insurance Program at no cost to the State, effective July 1, 2009.
- HB 63 introduced by Rep. Booth: No private attorneys can be hired by State offices, departments, agencies, commissions or instrumentalities without the unanimous consent of the Attorney General, Governor, Chair and Vice Chair of the Joint Finance Committee.
- HB 60 introduced by rep. Kowalko: This Bill prohibits public schools, including charter schools, and school districts from making available or serving food with more than 0.5 gram of artificial trans fatty acids to students in grades K through 12.
The one thing that all of the prefilings remind me of is the promise of multiple amendments to HB1 by various Representatives — none of which look to have been published yet. So where are they?
What do you think about these bills? AND, are these summaries useful or no?