Delaware 150th General Assembly (2019-2020) Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 8 D · 2 R cosponsors

SB 141 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Last action — Reported Out of Committee (Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce) in House with 10 On Its Merits

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 150th General Assembly (2019-2020). It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Both the Delaware Strategic Fund (Title 29, Chapter 87A, Subchapter II) and the Delaware Technical Innovation Fund (Title 29, Chapter 87A, Subchapter III) provide funding for Delaware businesses, including new businesses in growing technology-related fields. The Delaware Strategic Fund is intended to assist in the development of startup strategies such as seed capital and incubator programs. The Delaware Technical Innovation Fund is intended to promote coordination with Delaware’s institutions of higher education and the private sector to commercialize innovative products and processes developed by small businesses. This act encourages Delaware’s institutions of higher education to assist foreign-born, student entrepreneurs, who are engaged in the development of new businesses and technologies in Delaware, to provide them with assistance in maintaining proper legal status within the United States. Presently, thirteen universities in six states offer Global Entrepreneur in Residence Programs which have been successful in assisting foreign-born, student entrepreneurs in creating new businesses, new jobs, and attracting additional capital investment for their development and expansion. This act will add a provision comparable to those found in Global Entrepreneur Residence Programs within the existing frameworks provided by the Delaware Strategic Fund and the Delaware Technical Innovation Fund. This will encourage the creation and development of new businesses and new technologies in Delaware, without creating a new program with new funding needs. This Bill also includes a 3-year sunset provision.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

8 added · 94 removed

8 line(s) added, 94 removed.

→
Previous
Latest
McDowell & Rep.
McDowell DELAWARE STATE SENATE 150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE AMENDMENT NO.
Brady & Rep.
1 TO SENATE BILL NO.
Heffernan Sens.
141 AMEND Senate Bill No.
Hansen, Poore, Sokola, Walsh, Bonini, Richardson, Sturgeon;
141 on line 21 by inserting “Support” after “(9)” and before “Delaware”.
Reps.
FURTHER AMEND Senate Bill No.
Bolden, Michael Smith, Ramone, Osienski DELAWARE STATE SENATE 150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE BILL NO.
141 by deleting lines 65 through 67 in their entirety.
141 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SYNOPSIS This amendment makes a technical correction to the bill and removes the Sunset provision.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1.
Amend Section 8736A, Chapter 87A, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strikethrough and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§ 8736A Duties.
In carrying out this Program, to promote technology development and utilization within the small business sector, the duties of the Division shall include but not be limited to:
(1) Promote the SBIR and STTR Programs among Delaware small businesses.
(2) Seek technical assistance for small businesses to participate more effectively in the federal SBIR and STTR Programs.
(3) Coordinate efforts with small business, institutions of higher education, financial institutions and government to affect timely development and utilization of new development of technology.
(4) Administer state matching funds in association with the Delaware Technical Innovation Program for the federal SBIR and STTR Programs to provide state matching funds to compensate for the lag between federal Phase I and Phase II awards under the SBIR and STTR Programs.
(5) Coordinate efforts within the business sector to commercialize innovative products and processes developed by small businesses.
(6) Assist small businesses that are engaged in technology development and utilization in obtaining private sector financing.
(7) Develop job training programs to meet specific needs for small business.
(8) Review and recommend ways of streamlining relevant state regulations to expedite the development of innovative products and processes.
(9) Delaware institutions of higher education participating in the program may identify and sponsor the proper legal status needed by entrepreneurs who are currently graduate students, or who were awarded a graduate SD :
FJM :
ALW Page 1 of 3 Released:
06/07/2019 01:47 PM degree within the last three years, of the institution of higher education.
The proper legal status may include Optional Practical Training (OPT) and H1-B/EB-2 visas.
Section 2.
Amend Section 8728A, Chapter 87A, Title 29 of the Delaware Code, by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§ 8728A Fund purposes.
(a) Moneys appropriated to the Fund may be loaned, granted or used in other financing mechanisms by the Authority within the State.
The Fund may be used for the following purposes:
(1) Retention and expansion of existing firms;
(2) Recruitment of new firms;
(3) Formation of new businesses;
(4) Provide support to Delaware institutions of higher education to identify and sponsor the proper legal status needed by entrepreneurs who are currently graduate students, or who were awarded a graduate degree within the last three years.
The proper legal status may include Optional Practical Training (OPT) and H1-B/EB-2 visas.
(4)(5) To the extent provided in subsection (c) of this section, and for 1 or more of the purposes set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) through (3) of this section, environmental assessment and remediation of certified brownfields and subchapter III of this chapter regarding the Delaware Technical Innovative Program.
For purposes other than stated above, the Co-Chairs of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Capital Improvement Program, Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Controller General shall be informed prior to any action by the Division.
(b) Moneys appropriated to the Fund may be used for the following activities:
(1) Working capital;
(2) Renovation, construction or any other type of improvements to roads, utilities and related infrastructure and public facilities;
Show all 67 changed rows (27 more)
Previous
Latest
(3) Assistance for equipment, machinery, land and building acquisition and development;
(4) Assistance with relocation expenses;
(5) Loans or loan guarantees;
(6) Assistance for the development of startup strategies such as seed capital and incubator programs;
(7) Assistance for the development of re-use strategies and implementation plans for sites located in the State and targeted for development by the Division;
SD :
FJM :
ALW Page 2 of 3 Released:
06/07/2019 01:47 PM (8) Assistance for the development and implementation of modernization strategies for existing manufacturing firms to strengthen their competitive position in regional, national and international markets;
and (9) To develop and implement strategies to maintain or enhance important economic sectors in the State.
(c) During any fiscal year of the State, up to $1,000,000, in aggregate, of the moneys appropriated to the Fund may be used to provide matching grants for the costs of environmental assessment and remediation at certified brownfields.
The amount of a matching grant with respect to a certified brownfield shall not exceed the lesser of $100,000 or 50 percent of environmental assessment and remediation costs with respect to such certified brownfield.
For purposes of this subsection, a "certified brownfield" is a brownfield, as defined in § 9103 of Title 7, that the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has certified as a brownfield pursuant to regulations promulgated under § 9104(b)(2)p.
of Title 7.
The Chairperson of the Authority may at any time suspend the making of grants under this subsection if the Chairperson finds that moneys in the Fund would be better used for other Fund purposes consistent with this subchapter, and may resume the making of grants under this subsection at any time after previously suspending the making of such grants.
Section 3.
On the condition that this Act is reviewed by the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee, this Act expires 3 years after its enactment into law unless otherwise provided by a subsequent act of the General Assembly.
SYNOPSIS Both the Delaware Strategic Fund (Title 29, Chapter 87A, Subchapter II) and the Delaware Technical Innovation Fund (Title 29, Chapter 87A, Subchapter III) provide funding for Delaware businesses, including new businesses in growing technology-related fields.
The Delaware Strategic Fund is intended to assist in the development of startup strategies such as seed capital and incubator programs.
The Delaware Technical Innovation Fund is intended to promote coordination with Delaware’s institutions of higher education and the private sector to commercialize innovative products and processes developed by small businesses.
This act encourages Delaware’s institutions of higher education to assist foreign-born, student entrepreneurs, who are engaged in the development of new businesses and technologies in Delaware, to provide them with assistance in maintaining proper legal status within the United States.
Presently, thirteen universities in six states offer Global Entrepreneur in Residence Programs which have been successful in assisting foreign-born, student entrepreneurs in creating new businesses, new jobs, and attracting additional capital investment for their development and expansion.
This act will add a provision comparable to those found in Global Entrepreneur Residence Programs within the existing frameworks provided by the Delaware Strategic Fund and the Delaware Technical Innovation Fund.
This will encourage the creation and development of new businesses and new technologies in Delaware, without creating a new program with new funding needs.
This Bill also includes a 3-year sunset provision.
ALW Page 3 of 3 Released:
CBK Page 1 of 1 Released:
06/07/2019 01:47 PM 2711500003
06/13/2019 04:12 PM 4761500086
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (2)

Action History

  1. Reported Out of Committee (Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce) in House with 10 On Its Merits

  2. Assigned to Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee in House

  3. Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 2 ABSENT

  4. Amendment SA 1 to SB 141 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 18 YES 3 ABSENT

  5. Reported Out of Committee (Finance) in Senate with 5 On Its Merits

  6. Introduced and Assigned to Finance Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

3 sponsors · 11 co-sponsors · 48 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (11)

Not signed on (48)

48 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 48 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

SM

Passed 19 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7000
Democratic 8001
Republican 4001
Total 19002
% of votes cast 90%0%0%10%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Anthony Delcollo — Yea
Bruce C. Ennis — Yea
Catherine Cloutier — Yea
Colin Bonini — Yea
David B. McBride — Yea
Ernesto B Lopez — Yea
Harris B. McDowell — Yea
Bryan Townsend Democratic Yea
Darius J. Brown Democratic Not Voting
David P. Sokola Democratic Yea
John "Jack" Walsh Democratic Yea
Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic Yea
Nicole Poore Democratic Yea
S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic Yea
Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic Yea
Trey Paradee Democratic Yea
Brian Pettyjohn Republican Not Voting
Bryant L. Richardson Republican Yea
Dave G. Lawson Republican Yea
David L. Wilson Republican Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

immigration labor education technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 141 do?
Both the Delaware Strategic Fund (Title 29, Chapter 87A, Subchapter II) and the Delaware Technical Innovation Fund (Title 29, Chapter 87A, Subchapter III) provide funding for Delaware businesses, including new businesses in growing technology-related fields. The Delaware Strategic Fund is intended to assist in the development of startup strategies such as seed capital and incubator programs. The Delaware Technical Innovation Fund is intended to promote coordination with Delaware’s institutions of higher education and the private sector to commercialize innovative products and processes developed by small businesses. This act encourages Delaware’s institutions of higher education to assist foreign-born, student entrepreneurs, who are engaged in the development of new businesses and technologies in Delaware, to provide them with assistance in maintaining proper legal status within the United States. Presently, thirteen universities in six states offer Global Entrepreneur in Residence Programs which have been successful in assisting foreign-born, student entrepreneurs in creating new businesses, new jobs, and attracting additional capital investment for their development and expansion. This act will add a provision comparable to those found in Global Entrepreneur Residence Programs within the existing frameworks provided by the Delaware Strategic Fund and the Delaware Technical Innovation Fund. This will encourage the creation and development of new businesses and new technologies in Delaware, without creating a new program with new funding needs. This Bill also includes a 3-year sunset provision.
Who sponsors SB 141?
SB 141 is sponsored by Edward S. Osienski (Democratic), Michael F. Smith (Republican), Stephanie T. Bolden (Democratic), Bryant L. Richardson (Republican), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Nicole Poore (Democratic), Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Debra Heffernan (Democratic), John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), Harris B. McDowell, Gerald L. Brady, Colin Bonini, and Michael Ramone.
What is the current status of SB 141?
This bill died with 150th General Assembly (2019-2020). It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 141?
Track SB 141 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB 141

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of SB 141

Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →