
Committee Report Details
Favorable:
On its Merits:
Unfavorable:
Daily Report for 5/13/2025
Governor's Actions
No legislation is Signed by Governor Today
New Legislation Introduced
Bill | Current Status | Sponsor | Synopsis | Title |
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SS 1 for SB 79 | Committee | Wilson | This Act creates a right to free legal counsel for certain relatives seeking to terminate parental rights and adopt a child in the relative’s family who has been in the custody of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (“Department”). The right to free legal counsel applies at all stages of the termination of parental rights proceedings, including any appeals. This Act also requires the Department or a licensed agency with which the Department contracts to prepare and file the social study and report required as part of the termination of parental rights and adoption proceedings at no cost to the relative. To qualify for free legal counsel, all of the following must be true: 1. The petitioner must be a relative of the child. Relative means as defined in § 1101 of Title 13. 2. The petitioner has guardianship of the child who is the subject of the termination of parental rights and adoption petitions. 3. The guardianship order was entered in favor of the petitioner when the child was in Department custody and is in effect throughout the termination of parental rights and adoption proceedings. 4. The petitioner filed the guardianship petition that resulted in the guardianship order on or after July 1, 2026. 5. The Family Court determines that the petitioner is indigent. This Act is a substitute for and differs from Senate Bill No. 79 in 2 ways. First, it adds an indigency requirement that the petitioner must meet to qualify for free legal counsel in termination of parental rights and adoption proceedings. Second, it provides that free legal counsel for guardians seeking termination of parental rights and adoption is only available if the underlying petition for guardianship of the child is filed on or after July 1, 2026, when this Act goes into effect. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AND ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS. |
HB 148 | Committee | Minor-Brown | This Act updates the Board of Nursing’s enabling act to allow the Board to issue confidential letters of concern to licensees who have acted in manner warranting concern but have not violated the Board’s statute or regulations. The purpose of the letter of concern is to encourage the licensee to improve such practice. The bill further allows the Board to require any licensee who receives 3 or more letters of concern to appear before the Board for a hearing to assess the licensee’s competency, at which time the letters of concern would no longer be confidential. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NURSING. |
HS 1 for HB 116 | Committee | Heffernan | This Act provides the Public Service Commission with the flexibility to consider and approve a discounted gas or electric residential utility rate for qualified low-income customers, provided the discount is 20% of standard residential distribution rates. This permits low-income customers to receive utility distribution services at a lower cost. A utility offering a discounted low-income rate is responsible for annually determining customer eligibility in cooperation with the Department of Health and Social Services. The Public Service Commission must review any discount rate approved under this Act every five years to determine if the discount rate should be re-authorized. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITY RATES. |
SB 135 | Committee | Buckson | This bill creates the Grants-In-Aid Committee. The Committee is a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives. The purpose of the Committee is to view applications for grants-in-aid and to develop and recommend to the Joint Finance Committee the grants-in-aid appropriations bill. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GRANTS-IN-AID. |
SB 136 | Committee | Sokola | This Act adopts a recommendation made by the Delaware Compensation Commission in its January 6, 2025, report. Specifically, this Act changes the minimum amount of pension payable to a member of the General Assembly elected after February 28, 2025, because the pension amount will no longer be calculated by multiplying the elected official’s years of service as an elected member of the General Assembly times the highest rate of payment being paid to any retired member of the General Assembly. Instead, the pension payable to an elected official of the General Assembly elected on or after February 28, 2025, shall be computed under § 5527(a)(1) of Title 29. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE EMPLOYEES’ PENSION PLAN. |
HB 302 | Committee | Ortega | This Act requires that all State government websites are accessible in any language spoken by at least .5% of the overall population of Delaware. A link to the translated website must be prominently placed on each English version of the website. State websites may use machine translation services to translate websites so long as the website provides a disclaimer as to the accuracy of the text. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITES. |
HB 149 | Committee | Kamela Smith | This Act gives DPH the authority to approve supervised clinical training rotations for mental health providers at school-based health centers. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS. |
HB 160 | Committee | D. Short | The Delaware National Guard provides financial assistance to eligible service members for certain postsecondary education tuition and fees. Under the current education benefits program, the Delaware National Guard reimburses service members for tuition and fees the service members have already paid. But young service members often cannot take advantage of this program because they cannot afford to pay upfront for tuition and fees. This also hurts Delaware National Guard recruiting efforts because potential service members may choose to join National Guard programs in other states that do not require service members to pay upfront for tuition and fees. Keeping the Delaware National Guard fully staffed is essential to responding to state emergencies. Lack of staff also leads the Department of Defense to shift positions from the Delaware National Guard to other states that can recruit at higher levels than Delaware. This results in reduced mission capability in Delaware and less federal funding coming to Delaware. This Act amends the existing code relating to Delaware National Guard education benefits by switching from a system that reimburses service members to a system that pays certain tuition and fees, on behalf of a service member, directly to a Delaware postsecondary institution. This change allows more service members to use education benefits, which will improve Delaware National Guard recruiting and retention, and enhance the professional education qualifications of its members. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual and clarifies that the tuition assistance provided for Delaware private postsecondary institutions is based on the average tuition for state-supported postsecondary institutions. This Act is effective immediately and is implemented on July 1, 2026, to allow updates to rules, regulations, and forms for the Delaware National Guard tuition assistance program. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATED TO DELAWARE NATIONAL GUARD EDUCATION BENEFITS. |
HB 159 | Committee | K. Williams | This Act gives a county, upon a county-wide reassessment of real property under § 8306(b) of Title 9, the authority to adopt an ordinance modifying the school property tax exemption amounts that were put in place on or before January 1, 1998. In doing so, this Act protects seniors and individuals with disabilities from significant school tax increases related to county-wide reassessments of property values. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS. |
SB 138 | Committee | Mantzavinos | This Act makes changes to Chapter 103 of Title 16, pertaining to the Delaware Health Information Network (“DHIN”). Section 1 makes a technical correction. Section 2 updates the composition of DHIN’s Board of Directors (“Board”) to reflect recent practice with respect to Governor-appointed boards. It removes the concept of positions held for certain groups or industries and replaces it with a general obligation to appoint members broadly representative of DHIN’s stakeholder groups and the general public, with an emphasis on individuals with particular expertise that will benefit DHIN and its public mission. It also reduces the size of the board from 19 to 13 members to align with the historical size of DHIN’s Board and to implement current best practices with respect to Board size, and specifies that a member’s term may end before 3 years if the member resigns or is removed. Sections 3 and 4 are cleanup provisions that remove references to the rules and regulations of the Health Care Commission that previously governed DHIN’s operations, but that have been replaced by DHIN’s own rules and regulations. Section 3 also updates the statute to reflect DHIN’s preferred nomenclature as it relates to data senders, data recipients, and other users of DHIN’s service. Section 3 does not change DHIN’s ability to charge fees for services. Section 5 removes a reference to the Delaware Center for Health Innovation, which is no longer operating, and replaces it with a reference to the State. Section 5 also defines “Triple Aim”. Section 6 removes a reference to Statement 6 of the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Policy as it relates to antitrust regulations on the exchange of price and cost information. Statement 6 was withdrawn by the Biden Administration in February 2023. The new language leaves open the possibility that additional guidance will be provided in the future and provides that any release of information will need to comply with the antitrust rules and regulations in effect at that time. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK. |
SB 137 | Committee | Mantzavinos | Earned Wage Access (EWA) is a Fintech product that allows workers to voluntarily access the money they have already earned during a pay-period for work they have already completed, ahead of their scheduled payday. Users primarily access EWA services through a mobile app and are only able to withdraw wages their EWA provider has verified that they have already earned. This verification process, coupled with the fact that EWA transactions are non-recourse and credit-invisible make the product distinct from loans and credit cards. As an innovative financial product with distinct characteristics that do not fit within existing regulations, EWA requires a distinct regulatory framework. Currently, more than 100,000 workers in Delaware have already used Earned Wage Access services, which are mostly unregulated in the state. This bill helps ensure that responsible EWA providers can operate under the supervision of Delaware’s banking regulator and continue to serve users in the state of Delaware. Moreover, this bill codifies a regulatory framework that recognizes the distinct characteristics of EWA products and will keep Delawareans protected from bad actors who might seek to use the “Earned Wage Access” moniker, while instead offering a predatory product. Specifically, this bill protects consumers in Delaware by creating a new Earned Wage Access provider license, issued by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner to companies whose products meet the following criteria, ensuring that: • All users have at least one reasonable no-cost option for each transaction • All fees and gratuities are clearly and transparently represented to users before they confirm their transactions • EWA transactions are credit-invisible, that providers do not check a user’s credit before issuing EWA services, nor do they report to a credit agency if a user cancels their service • EWA providers do not pursue recourse against users including charging interest, late fees, or sending unresolved EWA transactions to collections | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 5 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EARNED WAGE ACCESS SERVICES PROVIDERS. |
SB 139 | Committee | Pinkney | This Act provides protections and rights to victims of sexual assault by doing all of the following: • Codifying the core sections of Delaware's Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) testing policy, adopted in May 2022. • Enacts the recommendations of the Victims' Bill of Rights Committee (VBR Committee), established under SCR 99, (152nd General Assembly) providing rights to victims regarding information about the location, status, and preservation of biological evidence. These protections and rights for victims of sexual assault are in addition to existing requirements for DNA analysis performed by the Division of Forensic Science (DFS) laboratory under Chapter 47 of Title 29 and the Victims’ Bill of Rights under Chapter 94 of Title 11. Section 1 revises the definitions in Chapter 47 of Title 29 by transferring definitions from § 4713 of Title 29, updating existing definitions, and creating new defined terms that reflect current practices. Section 2 updates existing requirements under § 4713 of Title 29 that apply when the DFS laboratory receives, analyzes, and classifies biological samples and obtains DNA results, by doing all of the following: • Adding the names of the state and federal DNA databases. • Referencing current law-enforcement procedures, including the names of Delaware’s criminal justice case management systems. • Requiring the Department of Justice, or a law-enforcement agency authorized by the Department of Justice, to inform DFS if the investigation has determined that no crime occurred in the case connected to a biological sample that has been submitted. This enables DFS to comply with NDIS policies and procedures related to when DNA results can be included in the National DNA Index System. • Adding the VBR Committee’s recommendations preventing the destruction of biological samples from unsolved sexual assault cases based on the victim’s age at the time of the alleged offense. For adults, these biological samples may not be destroyed until 20 years after the collection of the evidence and if the victim was under 18 years of age, until the victim is 40 years old. • Adding references to the new SAK-specific provisions under § 4713A of Title 29 and § 9403B of Title 11. Section 3 adds additional requirements that apply when the DFS laboratory conducts DNA analysis of SAKs, codifying Section 5 and Section 7 of the existing SAK testing policy. Section 4 adds definitions related to biological evidence to Chapter 94 of Title 11 for the Victims’ Bill of Rights. Section 5 adds the following to the Victims’ Bill of Rights: • Requirements that apply to investigating law-enforcement agencies, codifying provisions in Section 3 and Section 4 of the existing SAK testing policy. • The VBR Committee’s recommendations regarding victims’ rights to information about the location, status, and preservation of biological evidence, such as learning the status and results of DNA testing. Victims of unsolved sexual assault cases have the right to notice before biological evidence is destroyed, to request that this evidence be preserved, and to designate another person to receive information about the status of biological evidence on their behalf. Section 6 updates how victims receive notifications from law-enforcement agencies that are required under the Victims’ Bill of Rights, to allow for implementation of the victims’ rights to information about biological evidence. All of the following changes were recommended by the VBR Committee and are identical to the language in Senate Bill No. 17 (153rd): • Allowing law-enforcement agencies to send notifications electronically. • Providing that victims are responsible for providing a law-enforcement agency with changes to the victim’s contact information. • Allowing a victim to indicate and change their preferred method of contact by law-enforcement agencies, including a preference not to be contacted, and law-enforcement agencies must use the victim’s preferred method of contact when possible. Sections 7 through 9 revise the definitions of “DNA” and “DNA profile” in Part II of Title 11 for criminal procedure so they align with the definitions in Chapter 47 of Title 29. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE. |
HA 1 to HS 1 for HB 105 | PWB | Ross Levin | This amendment provides that where a job opportunity is covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the compensation or compensation range disclosed in a notification should be one that has been agreed upon for disclosure in the CBA itself. The section becomes applicable to postings for opportunities covered by a CBA only when the CBA is amended, modified, or renewed after the effective date of the Act, to give the parties opportunity to consider the disclosed range in the course of negotiating a CBA. The amendment also provides that an employer is not liable for job posting that are digitally replicated and published without the employer’s consent. This amendment also makes a technical correction. | |
SB 140 | Committee | Pettyjohn | This Act prohibits the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control from promulgating rules and regulations restricting the sale of fuel-powered cars, trucks, and SUVs in Delaware. This Act does not change the emission standards fuel-powered vehicles must currently meet. The provisions of this bill would be retroactive to March 1, 2023. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL. |
SB 141 | Committee | Walsh | This bill allows auction houses that are licensed by the Delaware Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner to auction spirits, so long as the spirits being auctioned are not made available for sale in any licensed facility or store. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS. |
SB 142 | Committee | Pettyjohn | In 2022, the FBI reported that law enforcement received over 7,000 reports related to the financial sexual extortion of minors, resulting in 3,000 victims and more than a dozen suicides. In 2023, South Carolina adopted “Gavin’s Law” in honor of Gavin Guffey, the son of Representative Brandon Guffey. Gavin was victim of sexual extortion, which led him to tragically take his own life at only 17 years old. Gavin’s Law created the crime of sexual extortion. In Delaware, sexual extortion is a crime under § 774 of Title 11. It is classified as a Class E felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. This Act increases the penalty for sexual extortion to a Class B felony, which is punishable by a minimum of 2 years in prison up to a maximum of 25 years in prison, under the following circumstances: 1. The defendant is an adult and the victim is a child, as defined in § 1100 of Title 11, or a vulnerable adult, as defined in §1105 of Title 11. 2. The defendant’s sexual extortion of the victim causes the victim to suffer serious physical injury or death. Gavin’s Law also requires school districts to educate students, and their parents or guardians, about the crime of sexual extortion. South Carolina’s Department of Education recommended including the required education in the Erin’s Law curriculum. Delaware has adopted its own version of Erin’s Law, under § 4163 of Title 14, that requires school districts and charter schools to provide appropriate training to employees and students, and to provide information to parents, about personal body safety, child safety, and how to detect and report child abuse. This Act specifies that information about the crime of sexual extortion must be included in the educational programming required by Erin’s Law. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual and to clarify the meaning of § 774 of Title 11. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 AND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SEXUAL EXTORTION. |
SB 143 | Committee | Pettyjohn | Ohio recently adopted “Braden’s Law”, named after Braden Markus. Braden, a high school student, tragically took his own life after being coerced into sharing sensitive photographs online and then threatened with release of the photographs on social media if he did not pay money. Braden’s parents, Jenn and Jarod, endured months of anguish after being denied access to Braden’s personal cell phone records. In response, part of Braden’s Law requires courts to adjudicate a parent or legal guardian’s request for an order directing access to a deceased minor’s digital assets and digital accounts within 30 days. In Delaware, a fiduciary can access to digital assets and digital accounts under Chapter 50 of Title 12. A fiduciary must send to the custodian of digital assets or digital accounts a valid written request for access. The custodian must comply with the valid written request within 60 days. If the custodian fails to comply, the fiduciary can ask the Court of Chancery (the “Court”) for an order directing the custodian to grant access to the digital assets. If the fiduciary seeking access to a digital asset or digital account is a parent or legal guardian of a minor deceased account holder, this Act requires the Court to treat the application as expedited and aim to resolve the application within 30 days after the application is filed. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 12 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FIDUCIARY ACCESS TO DIGITAL ASSETS AND DIGITAL ACCOUNTS. |
SB 144 | Committee | Walsh | This Act repeals the cap on the amount of money in the Delaware Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund (Trust Fund), resolving contradictory provisions in current law regarding the Delaware Manufactured Home Relocation Authority (DEMHRA) Board’s authority to adjust the amount in the Trust Fund. Under § 7042(e) of Title 25, the DEMHRA Board can adjust, eliminate, or reinstate the cap on the Trust Fund with the approval of at least 3 of the 5 members of the DEMHRA Board. However, § 7042(e) also provides a dollar amount cap on the amount in the Trust Fund, which under the Delaware Constitution, DEMHRA cannot change. DEMHRA needs to be able to adjust the cap on the Trust Fund because under § 7041(b)(1) and § 7042(b) of Title 25, the money in the Trust Fund is the only money available to DEMHRA to pay administrative costs and to carry out DEMHRA’s responsibilities under Chapters 70 and 71 of Title 25. Recent legislation has given DEMHRA additional responsibilities under subchapter VI of Chapter 70 when a community owner seeks to increase the rent, but DEMHRA does not receive any appropriations to support this work. Instead, except for money appropriated for board meeting stipends, DEMHRA is “responsible for all direct and indirect costs for its operations under § 7042 of this title, including receipts and disbursements, personnel, rental of facilities, and reimbursement to other state agencies for services provided and, therefore, must be fiscally revenue-neutral.” This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual by revising § 7041(c)(3) of Title 25 so that the number of Board members who must vote in favor of adjusting the Trust Fund is clearly stated with the Board’s other responsibilities. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE MANUFACTURED HOME RELOCATION TRUST FUND. |
SCR 72 | Passed | Huxtable | This resolution designates May 15, 2025, as "Global Accessibility Awareness Day" in the State of Delaware, affirms the importance of making the internet and technology accessible to all, and encourages expanded efforts to keep Delaware residents properly informed about the need for equitable digital access and inclusion. | DESIGNATING MAY 15, 2025, AS “GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
SA 2 to SB 81 | Passed | Lockman | This Amendment provides clarity that credit for years of experience begins at the date of completion and approval of an application to the employer. | |
SA 1 to SB 106 | PWB | Buckson | This Amendment changes the date that school districts and charter schools must post their adopted cell phone policies online from August 1, 2025, to September 1, 2025. |
Legislation Passed By Senate
Bill | Current Status | Sponsor | Synopsis | Title |
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HB 43 | Passed | Morrison | This bill adopts an inmate mailbox rule similar to the federal inmate mailbox rule. If a pro se inmate files an appeal while incarcerated, the date of filing will be counted as the date that that the inmate gave the appeal to the DOC officials for mailing rather than the date that the Courts receive the appeal. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO APPEALS. |
SB 63 w/ SA 1 | Committee | Walsh | Chapter 35 of Title 19 prohibits an employer from improperly classifying an individual who is an employee as an independent contractor. Not only is this improper classification unfair to employees because it violates state and federal laws related to income tax withholding, unemployment insurance, wage laws, and workers’ compensation, it is also unfair to contractors who comply with Chapter 35 and these other employment laws. When employers who violate Chapter 35 are subcontractors who have not registered as contractors as required under Chapter 36 of Title 19, the Department of Labor (Department) has no recourse for enforcing compliance with Chapter 35. This Act makes a general contractor responsible for a subcontractor’s compliance with Chapter 35 by making the general contractor jointly and severally liable for restitution and penalties assessed against the subcontractor. This Act also allows the Department to deny, suspend, or revoke the certificate of registration of a contractor who contracts with a subcontractor who has not registered on any project. In addition, Section 3 of this Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LABOR. |
SB 71 | Committee | Seigfried | This Act creates a special open enrollment period for persons who are already enrolled in a Medicare supplement policy or certificate to cancel their existing policy or certificate and purchase another Medicare supplement policy or certificate that provides the same or lesser benefits. Only persons who are already enrolled in a Medicare supplement policy or certificate are eligible for the special open enrollment period. The special enrollment period begins 30 days before an eligible person's birthday and remains open for at least 30 days following the eligible person's birthday. During this special open enrollment period, individuals switching from one Medicare supplement policy to another cannot be denied coverage and coverage and rates cannot be dependent upon the person’s medical history. The Act also obligates issuers to notify eligible persons who are enrolled in their Medicare supplement policies or certificates of the dates of the open enrollment period, at least 30 days before it begins, and of any modification to the benefits provided by the policy under which the person is currently insured. This Act also allows persons enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan to cancel their existing policy, enroll in Medicare during the annual Medicare open enrollment period and apply for a Medicare supplement policy. For individuals switching from Medicare Advantage to a Medicare supplement policy, the Act prohibits issuers of Medicare supplement policies from denying applications for such policies but does allow issuers to individually rate and apply a pre-existing condition limitation. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT POLICIES. |
SB 72 w/ SA 1 | Committee | Brown | This Act requires the Division of Public Health (“Division”) to create a website where Delaware residents can find out the level of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” in their public drinking water systems. This Act also requires the Division to notify public water utilities if the PFAS in their water exceeds certain limits, known as maximum containment levels, or MCLs. Water companies receiving this notice from the Division must then notify their customers that the PFAS levels in their water exceed the MCLs. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that PFAS, which are a class of chemicals that do not break down naturally, are linked to certain cancers, liver problems, thyroid issues, low birth weights and birth defects, decreased immunity, and other serious health issues. Children may be particularly susceptible to negative health outcomes from PFAS exposure, with some research linking high PFAS levels in children to developmental problems and reduced effectiveness of vaccines. Although Delaware is currently working toward making PFAS information available to consumers as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the federal rule that requires water systems to report on PFAS does not require them to do so until 2027, and water systems will not face consequences for exceeding MCLs until 2029. By providing everyone who uses public drinking water systems with the ability to determine the level of PFAS in their water prior to 2027, and to be notified when levels exceed MCLs, this Act empowers Delaware residents to advocate for safer water. This Act takes effect 90 days after its enactment into law. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS. |
SS 1 for SB 62 | Committee | Sturgeon | Like Senate Bill No. 62, Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 62 clarifies that state agencies, including public schools, may enter into agreements to trade in or sell materiel other than vehicles, including computer technology, by making the following technical changes to § 7002 of Title 29: • Transferring the current provision allowing agencies to trade in or sell materiel other than vehicles from § 7002(e) to paragraph § 7002(a)(3). • Transferring definitions of terms from § 7002 to the definitions section for this chapter, § 7001 of Title 29. • Revising long, confusing sentences by referencing paragraphs in § 7002 instead of repeating the content of those paragraphs. • Conforming existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 62 differs from SB 62 by making additional technical corrections and clarifications. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DISPOSAL OF STATE-OWNED PROPERTY. |
SB 107 | Committee | Sturgeon | This Act enacts the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists (“Compact”), which is designed to facilitate the interstate practice of school psychology in educational settings. School-based mental health services are in high demand in Delaware, but workforce shortages can make it difficult to meet that demand. By creating an additional licensing pathway for school psychologists to obtain equivalent licenses to practice school psychology in any state that is a member of the Compact, the Act aims to increase the availability of school psychological services for students in this State. The Interstate Compact for School Psychologists must be enacted in 7 states to become effective. The Compact has been enacted in 2 states and legislation is pending in several others. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS. |
SB 122 | Committee | Huxtable | This Act supports critical health care workforce research and planning efforts by giving the Division of Public Health and the Delaware Health Care Commission the ability to obtain comprehensive workforce-related data from the Division of Professional Regulation. It requires the Division of Public Health’s Office of Healthcare Provider Resources to collaborate with the Delaware Health Care Commission and the Division of Professional Regulation to determine what data should be collected from health care providers during the licensing and renewal process to assist the Division of Public Health with workforce research and planning. This Act also directs the Division of Professional Regulation to collect health care workforce-related data during the licensing or renewal processes. The data collected will be for purpose of health care workforce research and planning and will not include personal information such as personal financial information. The health care provider licensing process provides a rich opportunity for this State to obtain information it needs to ensure that its health care workforce is equipped to meet the needs of Delaware residents. Collecting data with the goal of informing health care workforce research and planning is a common practice nationwide, with at least 28 states collecting health care workforce data as part of the licensing process. Such data will fill crucial gaps in the Division of Public Health’s ability to understand health care workforce needs and develop policies and programs aimed at meeting them. As is currently the case, health care workforce data collected by the Division of Professional Regulation may only be used for official state business. This Act provides that official state business includes the following purposes specific to health care workforce research and planning: 1. Identifying and tracking data related to Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTAs), and Medically Underserved Areas and Populations (MUA/Ps), and other initiatives identified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. 2. Health care workforce research and planning. 3. Understanding issues related to supply, demand, distribution, and use of health care workers. 4. Informing health care workforce policy. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law with the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 16 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE PLANNING. |
SS 1 for SB 109 | Committee | Pinkney | This Act enters Delaware into the Social Work Licensure Compact. This will allow social workers to obtain a multistate license among the member states. Delaware will join the Compact Commission that is comprised of membership of all states that have enacted the Compact. Enough states have enacted the Compact that the Commission has been created and the applications for licensure could start in late 2025. Currently, at least 24 states have joined the Compact, while another 18 have pending legislation to enact the Compact, including Maryland and Pennsylvania. This Substitute changes the Chapter and Section numbers to place the Chapter in a more appropriate place in the code, and it corrects internal references to the new section numbers. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO A SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE COMPACT. |
SS 1 for SB 101 | Committee | Poore | This Act is a substitute for Senate Bill No. 101. It makes no substantive changes to Senate Bill No. 101 other than substituting the synopsis language from the prior bill for the new synopsis, as follows: This Act resolves a conflict between the Uniform Controlled Substances Act which requires an in-person examination to prescribe controlled substances for treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Delaware's telehealth regulations, the Telehealth Access Act which does not require an in-person examination. This bill connects and clarifies the two regulations by modifying the "patient-practitioner relationship" definition in Chapter 47, Title 16, the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, to include a practitioner treating OUD via telemedicine with Schedule III through V medication. The guardrails included in this short addition include: limiting the medication to only Schedule III through V, which has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of OUD and citing to the thorough requirements for establishing a provider-patient relationship under Section 6003 of Title 24, the 2021 Telehealth Access Act, which addresses requirements such as standard of care, medical record keeping, consent, and medical board oversight. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF THE PATIENT-PRACTITIONER RELATIONSHIP. |
SA 1 to SB 63 | Passed | Walsh | This Amendment clarifies that a general contractor is not subject to debarment for a subcontractor's violations. | |
SA 1 to SB 72 | Passed | Brown | This Amendment provides that if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) adopts an MCL that is lower than an MCL established by this Act, the lower MCL established by the EPA will become the MCL for this State. This Amendment also changes the effective date of Senate Bill No. 72 from 90 days after enactment to January 15, 2026. |
Legislation Passed By House of Representatives
Bill | Current Status | Sponsor | Synopsis | Title |
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HB 38 w/ HA 1 + SA 1 | Passed | K. Williams | This Act requires an institution of higher education that receives funding from this State to keep and provide records for an elected or appointed official who is employed by the institution of higher education. The University of Delaware and Delaware State University are to comply with this Act for employees who are paid in whole or in part with State funds. If the State Auditor finds that an institution of higher education is knowingly in violation of this Act, the State Auditor may impose an administrative penalty on the institution of higher education and shall report the violation and amount of administrative penalty imposed to the Public Integrity Commission, Department of Justice, and the Office of the Controller General. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REQUIRING INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO KEEP AND PROVIDE RECORDS AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENTAL COMPENSATION POLICY SUBCHAPTER. |
SB 69 | Passed | Buckson | This Act prohibits a school district or charter school from selling or serving breakfast, lunch, or competitive food on campus during the school day that contains the color additive Red dye 40 (CAS no. 25956-17-6). Competitive foods are sold through the school nutrition programs, and include items sold in vending machines on campus or served a la carte. Red dye 40 (CAS no. 25956-17-6) is a synthetic food coloring derived from petroleum. It is found in food products such as cereal, beverages, gelatins, puddings, popsicles, chips, dairy products, and confections. Red dye 40 is used solely to enhance the appearance of food and does not provide any nutritional value. Consumption of Red dye 40 has been associated with hyperactivity, aggression, and other neurobehavioral problems in some children. Red dye 40 may also be linked with migraines and learning difficulties. The European Union requires a warning label to be placed on food products with Red dye 40, stating that it “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”. California became the first state to pass a prohibition on the provision of and sale of foods in schools that contain Red dye 40. Presently, at least 6 other states have introduced legislation to prohibit Red dye 40 in schools. This Act is effective immediately and is to be implemented beginning July 1, 2026. The Department of Education and local education agencies will use the period leading up to the implementation date as a planning and preparation year. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FOODS AND BEVERAGES IN SCHOOLS. |
HS 1 for HB 130 | Committee | Osienski | This Act addresses information and access rights relating to bargaining units, which are defined under existing law as groups of public employees designated by the Public Employment Relations Board as appropriate for representation by an employee organization for purposes of collective bargaining. Section 1 of the Act amends the Public School Employment Relations Act in Title 14 of the Delaware Code. It provides that a public employer must provide an exclusive bargaining representative with certain contact information of bargaining unit employees, (i) within 14 calendar days of their hiring and (ii) in January and October of each year, starting in January 2026. In addition, a public employer must allow an exclusive representative to communicate with bargaining unit members using their employer-issued email addresses regarding collective bargaining, the administration of collective bargaining agreements, the investigation of grievances, workplace-related complaints and issues, and internal matters involving the exclusive representative's governance or business. Section 2 of the Act makes these same amendments to the Public Employment Relations Act in Title 19 of the Delaware Code. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 14 AND 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BARGAINING UNITS. |
SCR 63 | Passed | Lockman | This resolution designates May 7, 2025, as “Plastic Free Lunch Day” in Delaware to recognize student-led efforts to reduce plastic waste in schools and promote environmental sustainability. | RECOGNIZING MAY 7, 2025, AS “PLASTIC FREE LUNCH DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
SCR 68 | Passed | Cruce | This resolution recognizes May 12, 2025, as "Nemours Founders Day" in the State of Delaware. | RECOGNIZING MAY 12, 2025, AS "NEMOURS FOUNDERS DAY" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
SCR 71 | Passed | Lockman | This resolution recognizes May 13, 2025, as "LYTE Day" in Delaware to honor the work of Leading Youth Through Empowerment and its impact on Delaware students and families. | RECOGNIZING MAY 13, 2025, AS "LYTE DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE IN HONOR OF LEADING YOUTH THROUGH EMPOWERMENT’S DEDICATION TO ADVANCING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP. |
SCR 70 | Passed | Poore | This Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes May 13, 2025, as Delaware Local Government Day in the State of Delaware. | RECOGNIZING MAY 13, 2025, AS DELAWARE LOCAL GOVERNMENT DAY IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
Senate Committee Assignments
Committee |
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Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology |
Environment, Energy & Transportation |
Executive |
Finance |
Health & Social Services |
Housing & Land Use |
Judiciary |
Labor |
House Committee Assignments
Committee |
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Administration |
Education |
Elections & Government Affairs |
Natural Resources & Energy |
Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability) |
Senate Committee Report
No Senate Committee Report
House Committee Report
Committee |
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Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce |
Education |
Housing |
Public Safety & Homeland Security |
Senate Defeated Legislation
No Senate Defeated Legislation
House Defeated Legislation
No House Defeated Legislation
Nominations Enacted upon by the Senate
No Records