Paul Baumbach’s bills protecting state retirees’ health care benefits passed the Senate. Each bill had a friendly amendment added onto them. They’re at the top of today’s House Agenda, and will again pass unanimously, just like they did in the Senate. Yo, John can I have a press credential for the bill signing? W-what, there’s not gonna be a public bill signing? Maybe you can have Bethany cheerfully announce that the bill will become law w/o your signature.
Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report. Looks like whatever controversies had previously arisen concerning bail reform legislation were resolved as both bills passed the Senate unanimously. That means that legislators effectively legislated.
Some bills of note on today’s House Agenda. HS 2/HB210(Minor-Brown) ‘require all health benefit plans delivered or issued for Medicaid to cover services related to the termination of pregnancy. Coverage provided under this section is not subject to any deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement and must cover the full scope of services permissible under the law.’ Well, yes.
I also like HB 382 (Heffernan), which ‘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.’ Not sure why a fiscal note is not required, though.
Can someone explain HB 403 (Schwartzkopf) to me? Bill popped up last week, on the Agenda today. Purports to address ‘assessment functions in all County governments’. Yet, virtually all the sponsors are from Sussex County. OTOH, two real good legislators, Sen. Huxtable and Rep. Phillips, are on the bill. Anybody know where this bill came from, what it does, and why it’s being worked so quickly?
All Senate bills on today’s Senate Agenda. Not unusual, as early consideration of these bills makes it more likely that the House will be able to complete action on them before the end of session. The highlights:
SB 265 (Hansen) ‘authorizes processes necessary to help meet the net zero goals of the Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023. The bill facilitates a transition to carbon-free energy sources by (i) preparing for offshore wind to be a significant element of Delaware’s energy future, if cost is competitive with other potential sources, and (ii) increasing options for interconnecting renewable energy resources to the transmission grid.’
Delaware is one of only 6 states without a facility assessment on hospitals, causing the state to miss out on critical Medicaid funding that most states are already able to access. This Act creates the Hospital Quality Assessment, which places a 3.58% assessment on Delaware hospitals’ net patient revenues.
SB 293 (Lockman) ‘revises both the Delaware Fair Housing Act and Residential Landlord-Tenant Code to repeal the exemption to discrimination based on source of income that allows a landlord to discriminate against tenants who participate in government-sponsored rental assistance programs because this exemption contributes to a lack of affordable housing in this State.’
SS3/SB 169 (Hoffner) ‘provides compensation and reintegration services to individuals who have served sentences of incarceration, wrongful incarceration in a psychiatric institution, parole, probation, and sex offender registration in the State for crimes that they did not commit.’
Those are some good bills right there.
After today, the General Assembly adjourns for two weeks for budget mark-up. Been a pretty smooth session so far. This might not age well, but I think June will go smoothly as well. As long as Mike Ramone doesn’t run out of Skittles.