Delaware 151st General Assembly (2021-2022) Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 4 D · 3 R cosponsors

SB 123 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS.

Last action — Signed by Governor

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 28, 2021. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 98% · high confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    3 primary, 7 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (4 D · 3 R) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

This bill will allow all surviving spouses of persons killed in the course and scope of employment to receive the same level of death benefits as the surviving spouses of those persons defined as “covered persons” in Section 6601(2), Title 18 of the Delaware Code, in the event that the surviving spouse remarries. This expansion of the death benefit beyond the surviving spouses of those persons specified in Section 6601(2) will result in all surviving spouses, who decide to remarry, being treated equally under Delaware’s Workers’ Compensation laws.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

79 added · 12 removed

79 line(s) added, 12 removed.

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Previous
Latest
Poore DELAWARE STATE SENATE 151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE AMENDMENT NO.
Poore & Sen.
1 TO SENATE BILL NO.
Pettyjohn & Rep.
123 AMEND Senate Bill No.
Longhurst Sens.
123 by deleting lines 51 through 54 in their entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following:
Hansen, S.
“(g) Should any dependent of a deceased employee die, or should the surviving spouse remarry, the right of such dependent or such surviving spouse to compensation under this section shall cease, cease.
McBride, Wilson;
unless otherwise authorized under subsection (h) of this section.
Reps.
However, 2 years’ indemnity benefits in 1 lump sum shall be payable to a surviving spouse upon remarriage.” SYNOPSIS This amendment reinstates existing language that was previously deleted.
Dorsey Walker, Lambert, Lynn DELAWARE STATE SENATE 151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE BILL NO.
123 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1.
Amend § 2330 of Title 19 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§ 2330.
Compensation for death.
(a) In case of death, compensation shall be computed on the following basis and distributed to the following persons:
(1) To the child or children if there is no surviving spouse entitled to compensation,366 / % of the wages of the deceased, with 10% additional for each child in excess of 2, with a maximum of 80% to be paid to their guardian;
(2) To the surviving spouse, if there are no children, 36 / % of wages provided that the minimum amount payable shall not be less than $15 per week;
9 (3) To the surviving spouse, if there is 1 child, 36 / % of wages;
(4) To the surviving spouse, if there are 2 children, 70% of wages;
(5) To the surviving spouse, if there are 3 children, 75% of wages;
(6) To the surviving spouse, if there are 4 or more children, 80% of wages;
(7) If there is no surviving spouse or children, then to the parents, or the survivor of them, if actually dependent upon the employee for at least 50% of their support at the time of the worker’s death, 20% of wages;
(8) If there is no surviving spouse, children or dependent parent, then to the siblings, if actually dependent upon the decedent for at least 50% of their support at the time of the worker’s death, 15% of wages for 1 sibling, and 5% additional for each additional sibling, with a maximum of 25%, such compensation to be paid to their guardian.
(b) The wages upon which death compensation shall be based shall not in any case be taken to exceed the average weekly wage per week as announced by the Secretary of the Department of Labor for the last calendar year for which a determination of the average weekly wage has been made.
However, the minimum amount payable to a surviving SD :
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04/28/2021 11:34 AM 2 9 spouse entitled to compensation shall not be less than 22 / % of the said average weekly wage per week.
Subject to § 2332 of this title, this compensation shall be paid during 400 weeks and in case of children entitled to compensation under this section, the compensation of each child shall continue after such period of 400 weeks until such child reaches the age of 18 years, or if enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited educational institution, until such child ceases to be so enrolled or reaches the age of 25 years, and in the case of a surviving spouse entitled to compensation under this section the compensation shall continue after such period of 400 weeks until the surviving spouse dies dies.
or remarries, unless otherwise authorized under subsection (h) of this section.
Children are not entitled to compensation during the period that compensation is payable to their parent, except as provided in this section;
provided, however, that the compensation for any child shall not be less than $10 per week unless the total maximum benefits are being paid.
(c) Compensation shall be payable under this section to or on account of any sibling only if and while such sibling is under the age of 18 years.
Compensation shall be payable under this section to or on account of any child only if and while such child is under the age of 18 years, or if over 18 years and enrolled as a full-time student, until such time as such child ceases to be so enrolled or reaches the age of 25 years.
Compensation shall be payable under this section to or on account of any child beyond the age of 18 years if and while mentally or physically handicapped and actually dependent upon the deceased for at least 50 percent of their support at the time of the worker’s death.
(d) Compensation shall be payable under this section to a surviving spouse:
(1) If living with deceased at the time of death;
(2) if receiving or had the right to receive support at the time of death;
(3) if deserted prior to and continued at the time of death;
otherwise, compensation shall be distributed to the persons who would be dependents in case there was no surviving spouse.
(e) Compensation payable to the surviving spouse shall be for the use and benefit of such surviving spouse and of the dependent children, and the Board may from time to time apportion such compensation between them in such way as it deems best.
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The Board may require payments to be made directly to a minor who has been injured and may also require payments to be made to the person caring for any dependent minor, when, in the opinion of the Board, the expense of securing the appointment of a guardian would be disproportionate to the amount of compensation payable to such minor.
(f) If the compensation payable under this section to or on account of any person shall for any cause cease, the compensation of the remaining persons entitled thereunder shall thereafter be computed at the same rate as would have been payable to the remaining persons had they been the only persons entitled to compensation at the time of the death of the deceased, which computation shall be based upon the rates in effect at the time of the death of the deceased.
SD :
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04/28/2021 11:34 AM (g) Should any dependent of a deceased employee die, or should the surviving spouse remarry, the right of such dependent or such surviving spouse to compensation under this section shall cease, unless otherwise authorized under subsection (h) of this section.
However, 2 years’ indemnity benefits in 1 lump sum shall be payable to a surviving spouse upon remarriage.
(h) If a surviving spouse is entitled to a benefit under this chapter chapter, and the surviving spouse is the surviving spouse of a “covered person,” as defined in § 6601 of Title 18, and where benefits under this subsection would be paid from the Delaware General Fund, that surviving spouse is entitled to the benefit until the surviving spouse dies.
If and the surviving spouse remarries, the surviving spouse’s benefit must be reduced to 90% of the original benefit for the first 10 years after the remarrying and must be reduced to 75% of the original benefit thereafter until the death of the surviving spouse.
SYNOPSIS This bill will allow all surviving spouses of persons killed in the course and scope of employment to receive the same level of death benefits as the surviving spouses of those persons defined as “covered persons” in Section 6601(2), Title of the Delaware Code, in the event that the surviving spouse remarries.
This expansion of the death benefit beyond the surviving spouses of those persons specified in Section 6601(2) will result in all surviving spouses, who decide to remarry, being treated equally under Delaware’s Workers’ Compensation laws.
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04/28/2021 11:34 AM 4761510052
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Action History

  1. Signed by Governor

  2. Passed By House. Votes: 41 YES

  3. Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 5 On Its Merits

  4. Assigned to Administration Committee in House

  5. Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  6. Amendment SA 1 to SB 123 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  7. Reported Out of Committee (Labor) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits

  8. Amendment SA 1 to SB 123 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  9. Introduced and Assigned to Labor Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 52 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (7)

Not signed on (52)

52 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 52 →

"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 41 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 13000
Democratic 16000
Republican 12000
Total 41000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (41)
Member Party Vote
Andria L. Bennett — Yea
David Bentz — Yea
Gerald L. Brady — Yea
John A. Kowalko — Yea
John L. Mitchell — Yea
Michael Ramone — Yea
Paul S. Baumbach — Yea
Peter C. Schwartzkopf — Yea
Ruth Briggs King — Yea
Sean Matthews — Yea
Sherry Dorsey Walker — Yea
Stephen Smyk — Yea
Valerie Longhurst — Yea
Debra Heffernan Democratic Yea
Edward S. Osienski Democratic Yea
Eric Morrison Democratic Yea
Franklin D. Cooke Democratic Yea
Kendra Johnson Democratic Yea
Kimberly Williams Democratic Yea
Krista Griffith Democratic Yea
Larry Lambert Democratic Yea
Madinah Wilson-Anton Democratic Yea
Melissa Minor-Brown Democratic Yea
Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha Democratic Yea
Sean M. Lynn Democratic Yea
Sherae'a Moore Democratic Yea
Stephanie T. Bolden Democratic Yea
William Bush Democratic Yea
William J. Carson Democratic Yea
Bryan W. Shupe Republican Yea
Charles S Postles Jr. Republican Yea
Daniel B. Short Republican Yea
Jeffrey N. Spiegelman Republican Yea
Jesse R. Vanderwende Republican Yea
Kevin S Hensley Republican Yea
Lyndon D. Yearick Republican Yea
Michael F. Smith Republican Yea
Richard G. Collins Republican Yea
Ronald E. Gray Republican Yea
Shannon Morris Republican Yea
Timothy D. Dukes Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SM

Passed 21 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 5000
Democratic 11000
Republican 5000
Total 21000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Bruce C. Ennis — Yea
Colin Bonini — Yea
Ernesto B Lopez — Yea
Kyle Evans Gay — Yea
Sarah McBride — Yea
Bryan Townsend Democratic Yea
Darius J. Brown Democratic Yea
David P. Sokola Democratic Yea
John "Jack" Walsh Democratic Yea
Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic Yea
Marie Pinkney Democratic Yea
Nicole Poore Democratic Yea
S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic Yea
Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic Yea
Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic Yea
Trey Paradee Democratic Yea
Brian Pettyjohn Republican Yea
Bryant L. Richardson Republican Yea
Dave G. Lawson Republican Yea
David L. Wilson Republican Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

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 123 do?
This bill will allow all surviving spouses of persons killed in the course and scope of employment to receive the same level of death benefits as the surviving spouses of those persons defined as “covered persons” in Section 6601(2), Title 18 of the Delaware Code, in the event that the surviving spouse remarries. This expansion of the death benefit beyond the surviving spouses of those persons specified in Section 6601(2) will result in all surviving spouses, who decide to remarry, being treated equally under Delaware’s Workers’ Compensation laws.
Who sponsors SB 123?
SB 123 is sponsored by Nicole Poore (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Gerald W. Hocker (Republican), David L. Wilson (Republican), Larry Lambert (Democratic), Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), Sherry Dorsey Walker, Sarah McBride, and Valerie Longhurst.
What is the current status of SB 123?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 28, 2021. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 123?
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