Annual Report: Proposed Legislation
| Senate Legislation | |||
| BILL # | SYNOPSIS | REASON FOR MONITORING | STATUS |
| 15 | Prohibits Authorities from hiring lobbyists to lobby State agencies and/or the General Assembly. ( 'Authority' means those bodies corporate and politic created solely by the State of Delaware or a political subdivision thereof." e.g., Solid Waste Authority) | Would require monitoring of lobbyists' registrations to insure lobbyists are not representing such entities. | Referred to Senate Exec. Committee. No further action. |
| 64 | Requires that telephone calls to publicly listed state agency phone numbers are to be answered by a person, with limited exceptions. | To insure compliance by Commission staff. Because of having a 2 person staff, requires purchase of cell phone to insure compliance when 1 staff member is away from the office (e.g., to give training) and the other staff member must also leave (e.g. lunch). | Signed into law on 4/11/00 - To become effective after 60 days. |
| 79 | Establishes a commission to accomplish reapportionment after the 2000 and future censuses. Among other things, persons on the Commission cannot be or cannot have been a lobbyist for 2 years preceding Act; and cannot register as lobbyists while on the Commission within 2 years of the effective date of the reapportionment plan. | Would provide appointing authority with any requested information on whether appointees are or have been lobbyists, and would monitor future registrations for compliance. | Referred to Senate Exec. Committee. No further action. |
| 205 | Amends lobbying statute. Currently Lobbyists must list the recipient of expenditures on General Assembly members and employees/members of state agencies if the expenditure exceeds $50 per person per day. Lobbyists must affirm that they provided the recipient with a representation of the value of gifts in excess of $50. This Bill reduces that threshold from $50 to $15. | If passed, would require changes to lobbyist expense reporting forms and notice to lobbyists to insure compliance. | Referred to Senate Exec. Committee. No further action. |
| 333 | The proposed changes to the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) include:
(1) permitting dissemination of information by
electronic means, rather than by paper copy to maximize
accessibility while minimizing costs to the agency and to
citizens requesting documents by eliminating the need to copy
paper records. (3) requiring public bodies to either record
electronically (tape) or produce a verbatim account of
discussions in executive session. |
To insure compliance if passed. Most of the proposed changes are already part of the Commission's procedures. For example, it already offers its public documents in either hardcopy or electronic form (website, e-mail, or computer disk); and presently tapes all meetings. | Referred to Senate Exec. Committee. No further action. |
| 420 | Appropriations for the Expense of State Government for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2001. | Appropriates 162.5 for Commission's Budget. ($122.4 for Personnel Costs and 40.1 for Operating Costs) | Signed into law 7-1-00 |
| House Legislation | |||
| BILL
# |
SYNOPSIS | REASON FOR MONITORING | STATUS |
| 29 | Creates a Campaign Integrity Commission to review negative campaign statements believed to be misleading and/or inaccurate | Adds a new subchapter to title 29, chapter 58, which is administered by the Public Integrity Commission. However, if passed, the Campaign Integrity Commission would be a separate entity, with the Commissioner, Board of Elections providing data on alleged campaign improprieties. | Referred to House Administrative Committee
- HA1, 3/23/99 No further action. |
| 118 | Increase mileage rates for private vehicles to 28¢ on 7/1/99 and 31& on 7/1/2000 | Impacts on Commission's budget for travel expenses. | Signed into law 6/21/99 |
| 154 | Composition & reapportionment of General
Assembly This bill is almost identical to SB79 |
If passed, would provide appropriate appointing authority with any requested information on whether appointees are or have been lobbyists, and would monitor future registrations to insure compliance. | Referred to House Admin. Committee
4/15/99. No further action. |
| 243 | Create a new Dept. Of Drug Control w/three Divisions, to centralize drug abuse, treatment, prevention, etc. | Cabinet Secretaries and Division Directors file financial disclosure reports. If passed, Commission would add new positions to list of persons who must file financial disclosure reports and notify them of filing requirement. | House Hlth/Hmn Dev 5/27/99 HA1 6/3/99 Reassigned SBSTNC/AB 6/8/99 OOC 6/16/99 LOT 6/30/99 |
| 331 | Permits retired state employees to drive a school bus up to 900 hrs/calendar year with no impact on state pension. HA1 adds aids, monitors, & attendants | Post-employment law restricts the conduct of former state employees for 2 years after termination. Monitored for any impact on the post-employment law. | Passed w/HA1 6/29/99. Referred to Senate Finance Committee 6/30/00. No further action. |
| 471 |
Utilization of retired teachers (who have been retired 1 yr.) in critical areas with no decrease in pension. | Post-employment law restricts the conduct of former state employees for 2 years after termination. Monitored for any impact on the post-employment law. | House
Passed 4/6/00. To Senate Education Committee. OOC 6/30/00. No further action. |
| 517 |
Increase mileage rate for state employees to 31¢/mi. Would increase mileage rate on date of enactment, which could be earlier than 7/1/00, which was approved in H.B. 118, in 1999. (see that entry). | Impact on Commission's budget for travel expenses. | House
Passed 4/18/00 To Senate Finance Committee - 4/19/00. No further action. |
540 |
Among other things, amends the Financial Disclosure Law to change the title of the head of the Foster Care Review board from Administrative Coordinator of the Foster Care Review board to Executive Director of the Child Placement Review Board. | Requires change to title of person required to file financial disclosure report. | Signed into law 6/23/00 |
| 597 | Allow parent, spouse, child or sibling of a
member of DE Thoroughbred Racing Comm. to race horses in
DE.
Essentially identical bill introduced. See entry for H.B. 622. |
Code of conduct restricts appointees to Commission from participating in decision re: close relatives. Legislation specifically notes that Racing Commission Members are subject to the Code of Conduct. | Stricken -
6/22/00 |
| 622 | Allow parent, spouse, child or sibling of a member of the DE Thoroughbred Racing Commission to race thoroughbred horses in Delaware. | Code of conduct restricts appointees to Commission from participating in decision re: close relatives. Legislation specifically notes that Racing Commission Members are subject to the Code of Conduct. | House Game/Parmtl - 6/13/00
No further action. |
| 628 | Adds a new and separate Code of Conduct for
members of local school boards. ***identical to HB 634*** See that entry below. |
See entry on HB 634. | House Education Committee- 6/8/00 Stricken - 6/13/00 |
| 634 | Adds a new and separate Code of Conduct for
members of local school boards.
***identical to HB 628*** |
Would require the Commission to administer a new law, different from the existing Code of Conduct. In some areas, the Code for school board members would be less stringent than the State Code of Conduct which applies to all other local elected officials, unless they adopt a Code as stringent as the State Code. As written, appears to require the Commission to interpret laws presently administered by other State agencies, e.g., expenditure of State fund laws, personnel laws, etc. House and Senate Education Committee members notified of Commission's position. | House Passed w/HA 1 - 6/20/00 Senate SA 1 - Amends the legislation to delete the proposed separate Code of Conduct and inserts school board members within the existing Code of Conduct. No action after 6/30/00. Out of Senate Education Committee - 6/30/00 |
| 643 | Permits school district to hire, for a curricular area, retired teachers w/approval of State Board of Education. Clarifies pension of such employee will not be enhanced or adversely affected under this provision. | Post-employment law restricts conduct of former state employees for 2 years after termination. Monitored for any impact on post-employment law. | Referred to Education - 6/21/00 OOC - 6/30/00 |
| 644 | Increase pool of substitute teachers by permitting retired teachers to be substitutes without affecting pension or benefits. | Post-employment law restricts conduct of former state employees for 2 years after termination. Monitored for any impact on post-employment law. | House Education -
HA 1 & 2 - 6/20/00 Passed - 6/20/00 Senate Education OOC - 6/30/00 |
| 646 | Replaces Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission with position of Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner & delineates duties of Commissioner & the Division of Alcoholic Beverage & Tobacco Control. ****Essentially same as 660****. | See HB 660 below. | Stricken -
6/20/00 |
| 660 | Replaces Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission with Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner & delineates duties of the Commissioner & the Div. of Alcoholic Beverage & Tobacco Control. ****Essentially same as 646**** | Requires filing of financial disclosure report by ABC Commissioner, deputy, and Division Director | Signed into law 8/4/00 |
| 668 | Establishes Board of Heating, Ventilation, AC & Refrigeration Examiners, & establishes a formal mechanism to license persons who provide heating, ventilation, AC,refrigeration, etc., services. | Specifies that Board members are subject to the State Code of Conduct. | House HA 1 - 6/27/00
HA 2 - 6/28/00 |
