U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Office of Government Affairs

Delaware

 

 

Area Coordinator:

Stu Soffer, N-LAE

State Liaison:

Harry Otto

Boating Law Administrator

State Website

Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control

Legislation Website

Coast Guard Auxiliary District:  5NR

Coast Guard District:  5th

 

Second Quarter Report, 2009:

 

The 145th General Assembly reconvened on 18 March 2009.  No new boating related legislation has surfaced to date.

 

Fiscal issues continue to absorb the attention of the General Assembly and Governor.  The FY-2010 Budget for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) that includes funds for Boating Safety Education, Boating Regulation Enforcement, and a variety of other boating related programs are currently being reviewed by the Joint Finance Committee.  The Joint Finance Committee continues to review the Governor’s recommended budget and the results of agency hearings including public input in the light of the Delaware Financial Advisory Committee’s estimates of decreasing revenues.  The Committee will then propose the budget that the General Assembly will act on late in June after the Delaware Financial Advisory Committee submits its final estimate of expected revenue for FY-2010.  There is no question that Delaware will seriously consider increasing boat registration fees and larger fines for violations of boating regulations due to the revenue shortfalls already being experienced in FY-2009, agency budget cuts already made to balance the current budget, and even greater revenue shortfalls expected in FY-2010.

 

Delaware “pass-through” funds that support the Auxiliary activities including AUXSARDET Wilmington and AUXSARDET Bowers Beach may be reduced or cut completely in FY-2010.

 

No legislative action on behalf of Delaware’s DNREC is currently being considered to replace the SARDET Bowers Beach bulkhead or pier until sufficient funds can be found to fully finance the project.  Consideration was given to install a new pier using the remaining funds allocated to partially fund the both the pier and bulkhead replacement but no action has been noted to date.  In all probability, the funds may have been reverted.  The use of federal “wind-fall” funds to replace the bulkhead and pier are being explored.  AUXSARDET Bowers Beach is considered to be important to the State of Delaware in terms of both natural disasters and national security

 

No recreational boating safety legislation introduced this quarter.