Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, May 10, 2022

It would be difficult to find a less compelling session than today’s.

The House Agenda features one ‘special license plate’ bill, perhaps more deserving than others of its, wait for it, ilk, but a special license plate bill nonetheless. Also three minor bills making administrative adjustments to state agencies.  The only bill of any note is HB 302 (Baumbach), which ‘clarifies that the creation or possession of an altered or fake vaccination document is forgery in the second degree. This crime includes electronic vaccination documents because the existing definition of “written instrument” under § 863 of Title 11 includes electronic equivalents’.  I suspect the law-abidin’ legislators from Suxco will oppose this bill because it’s a law they wouldn’t want to abide with.

The Senate Agenda features two Sunset Committee bills, and a bill permitting qualified veterinary technicians to administer rabies shots to dogs, cats–and ferrets.

Committees offer little more today.  Only two committee meetings in the Senate today.  Lots more tomorrow.  Of note:

SB 283 (Mantzavinos) ‘adds a requirement that practitioners licensed by these Boards who treat adults must complete one hour of continuing education in each reporting period on the topic of diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias’.

In addition to consideration of HB 330 (Heffernan), which passed the House unanimously, and which names the new Claymont Regional Transit Center for Harris McDowell, an honor he so richly deserves, the Senate Transportation Committee considers this Special License plate bill.  I’m sorry, this is ridiculous.  What’s the tagline gonna be?  “Allegedly Pedophile-Free Since 2020”?  Or “Emerging From Bankruptcy In The Near Future”?  I mean, seriously.

A truncated House Committee meeting schedule for today.  However, I support HB 404 (Minor-Brown), which ‘provides that it is the policy of this State to allow entry to professions and occupations with licensing requirements for individuals with a criminal history to the maximum extent consistent with public safety. To that end, the bill identifies certain kinds of criminal history elements that should not be considered by licensing boards: charges that are not pending and did not lead to a conviction; juvenile records; records that have been expunged, sealed, or pardoned; and convictions that are more than 10 years old. An exception is allowed to the 10 year rule to preserve existing prohibitions involving sex offense convictions’.  Sunset.

And, uh, that’s all that interests me.

Back tomorrow.  I’m not sure if more activity on the part of the General Assembly is better or worse at this time of year.  Betcha I can squeeze out more than 500 words tomorrow, though.