By Tyler Micik
Several significant bills which will have an impact on businesses throughout the state saw movement this week. Here’s a summary of those bills: HS 1 for HB 17 (Paid Sick and Safety Leave): Requires all employers in the State to provide employees with a minimum of one hour of earned sick time and safety leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year, which can be carried over from year to year. For employers with nine or fewer employees, the time may be unpaid, job-protected time instead of paid time. Employees who’ve been employed for 90 days or more would be eligible to receive the benefit.
HB 127 w/ HA 1 & HA 2 (Fire Protection Fees): Enables each county to establish a fire protection fee and the money collected would go to support fire companies. The decision on whether to impose the fee would be up to each county individually, and the bill doesn’t contain any language regarding a specific amount or limit on the fee a county could charge. The fee would apply to all businesses, including nonprofits and universities – yet the State is exempted. Additionally, it grants the county the authority to establish penalties for failure to pay the fee.
HS 1 for HB 350 (Hospital Cost Review Board): Establishes a “Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board”. The new board, comprised of five volunteer political appointees, would review and either approve or reject all aspects of every Delaware hospital’s budget on an annual basis. The board would also hold meetings for the public to comment on and approve the budgets of Delaware hospitals.
SB 233 (Service Worker Protection Act): Establishes employment protections for certain service employees during changes of ownership.
Other bills of note: HS 2 for HB 55 (Homeless Bill of Rights): Establishes rights of individuals experiencing homelessness and creates a process by which the State Human and Civil Rights Commission and the Division of Human and Civil Rights may accept and investigate complaints of discriminatory treatment, attempt conciliation, and refer enforcement actions to the Department of Justice where necessary.
SB 263 (Plastic Beverage Container Rings & Shrink Wrap): Prohibits the use of plastic and other beverage container rings, as well as plastic shrink wraps and plastic tops used to connect beverages.
SB 255 (Wage Payment and Collection Act): Makes a prime general contractor jointly and severally liable for a violation of the Wage Payment and Collection Act that is committed by a subcontractor, regardless of whether the subcontractor is in a direct contractual relationship with the prime general contractor. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to collect wages under the Wage Payment and Collection Act and provides that a prime general contractor is jointly or severally liable for a violation of the Delaware Contractor Registration Act by a subcontractor.
Also, it’s possible HB 248 could be held in committee as early as next week. The bill, which was introduced last year, establishes a pre-permit community outreach process for any qualified project, as defined in DNREC Regulations, that wishes to apply for a permit within 3 months, in an underserved community. Please let us know if you have any feedback on these bills by emailing me at [email protected].
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