Daily Report for 3/19/2026

Governor's Actions

No legislation is Signed by Governor Today

New Legislation Introduced

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
SS 1 for SB 35CommitteeHoffnerThis Act is a substitute for and differs from Senate Bill No. 35 by making the following substantive changes from the original bill: 1. Establishes and provides additional clarity to the definition of “qualified farm structure” to include buildings such as poultry houses, barns, sheds, silos, commodity storage facilities, greenhouse and packing or cooling facilities. To qualify, these structures must be located on land devoted to agricultural, horticultural, or forest land, as already defined in this chapter. Notably, this definition excludes any dwelling units used as residences and any buildings that are used for commercial, industrial, or non-farm businesses. 2. Removes Sections 3 through 6 of Senate Bill No. 35 as unnecessary due to the new definition of “qualified farm structure.” 3. Includes the new definition of “qualified farm structure” to clarify that qualified farm structures are eligible for valuation within this chapter. 4. Establishes that qualified farm structures are to be valued using a cost approach method, with only 50% of the fair market value of these structures subject to tax. This reduced rate excludes any residential dwellings or structures used for commercial, industrial, or other non-farm business purposes. 5. Eliminates references to any proposed changes to § 8337 pertaining to the State Farmland Evaluation Advisory Committee that were originally considered in Senate Bill No. 35. This substitute also makes technical corrections to conform to the standards set by the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. Agriculture is currently the leading industry in Delaware but as housing and other development occurs less farmland becomes available. For farmers in general, but in particular the small and medium sized farm owners, the real estate taxes imposed on their farm structures impose a significant financial impact and adversely affects their ability to survive. At least eighteen other states have recognized this problem and have through legislation provided real estate tax relief for qualified farm structures. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION OF STRUCTURES LOCATED ON LAND IN AGRICULTURAL, HORTICULTURAL, AND FOREST USE.
HS 1 for HB 150 w/ HA 1CommitteeGormanThis Act prohibits civil arrests from being made in courthouses or Department of Labor Offices where the Delaware Industrial Accident Board conducts hearings. The prohibition does not apply where there is a judicial order authorizing the civil arrest or where the law enforcement officer seeking to make the civil arrest has provided the court or administrative body with detailed advance notice regarding the proposed arrest. This Substitute differs from the original House Bill No. 150 in that it adds locations and proceedings related to the Delaware Industrial Accident Board to the prohibition and incorporates changes made by House Amendment No. 2 into the body of the bill. AN ACT AMENDING TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CIVIL ARRESTS.
HS 1 for HB 151Out of CommitteeGormanHouse Substitute for House Bill No. 151 prohibits the State, a unit of local government, or any agency, officer, employee, or agent thereof, from doing the following with respect to a detention facility owned, managed, or operated by a private entity: (1) Enter into an agreement of any kind for the detention of an individual with; (2) Pay, reimburse, subsidize, or defray in any way any cost related to the sale, purchase, construction, development, ownership, management, or operation of; (3) Receive per diem, per detainee, or any other payment related to the detention of an individual in; (4) Give any financial incentive or benefit to any private entity or person in connection with the sale, purchase, construction, development, ownership, management, or operation of. This House Substitute is different from House Bill No. 151 in the following ways: (1) The original Act prohibited the operation of private detention facilities and did not address the government’s interaction with them. This Substitute does not prohibit the operation of private detention centers. (2) It adds an exemption that excludes Residential Alternative to Detention facilities from the definition of a private detention facility (3) It exempts facilities that house a program to provide services in a nonsecure residential setting for juveniles under the jurisdiction of Family Court from the definition of a private detention facility. It also provides a definition of “nonsecure residential setting”. The exemption for nonsecure residential settings for juveniles sunsets on February 1, 2028.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DETENTION FACILITIES.
HB 327CommitteeRoss LevinThis Act amends Title 16 to establish statewide standards for levels of neonatal care for facilities that operate neonatal nurseries or neonatal intensive care units. The Act requires facilities to comply with nationally recognized standards for levels of neonatal care established by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), ensuring that newborns receive care in facilities equipped to meet the complexity of their medical needs. Under the Act, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) will designate each facility's level of neonatal care based on compliance with the AAP standards, including staffing, equipment, facility capabilities, and patient protocols. The Act further establishes additional requirements for facilities providing Level IV NICU services which care for the most critically ill and medically complex newborns. DHSS must adopt implementing rules by January 30, 2027, and will seek input from the Delaware Perinatal Quality Collaborative and existing NICU providers in developing these rules. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO STANDARDS FOR LEVELS OF NEONATAL CARE.
SB 263CommitteeSokolaThis Act adds minor league baseball players to the existing exemptions from state minimum wage and recordkeeping standards. After minor league players formed a union in 2022, minor league players represented by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) signed their first collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2023. This exemption actualizes that existing collective bargaining agreement between the players union and MLB. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LABOR.

Legislation Passed By Senate

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
HCR 98PassedPhillipsThis House Concurrent Resolution proclaims the month of April 2026 as “Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month” in the State of Delaware.PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2026 AS “SIKH AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION MONTH” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
SJR 12CommitteePinkneyThis Joint Resolution extends the existence of the Juvenile Justice Educational Transitions Task Force (Task Force) and the deadline for the Task Force's final report until July 31, 2026. EXTENDING THE DELAWARE JUVENILE JUSTICE EDUCATIONAL TRANSITIONS TASK FORCE.
SB 243 w/ SA 1CommitteeCruceThis Act cleans up antiquated portions of The Liquor Control Act, under Title 4, by updating provisions that have been in the Code since the 1930s and making technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act also creates two new license types: (1) a special event license and (2) a bottle club license for businesses offering creative arts experiences like painting, candle-making, and other arts and engagement activities. In addition to technical changes, this Act makes all of the following changes to Title 4 of the Code: Sections 2, 7, 8, 15, 11, and 22 changes “retailer” or “retail” to “package store” in § 512A, § 512C, § 524, and § 904. Section 1 updates and modernizes definitions in § 101 by lowering the number of customers for concert hall licenses, clarifying that IRS-recognized 503(c)(3) or similar organizations may obtain gathering licenses, clarifying that an “importer” also means a wholesaler or distributor because the terms are used interchangeably throughout Title 4 and the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Commissioner (“Office”) regulations, renaming a “retailer” as a “package store” and providing a clearer definition, and adding a new definition of “special event” for the special event license created by this Act. Section 2 requires the Office, under § 304, to provide current licensing data on its public-facing website rather than submitting annual reports to the Governor and the General Assembly. The Office already provides the licensing data on its website in lieu of paper reports that become stale quickly. Section 2 also updates how the Office provides notice of a hearing to consider a license application and the protests to the license application by removing the requirement to post the notice on the entrance door of the proposed licensee’s establishment and requiring the Office to mail notice by first class mail instead of registered mail. These changes reflect modern practices. Section 3 updates antiquated fiscal provisions in § 310 by requiring the Office to deposit receipts with the Office of the State Treasurer instead of the Division of Revenue and by requiring the Office to maintain receipt records and make the records available to the Division of Accounting instead of the Office of the State Treasurer. Section 4 allows the Auditor of Accounts (“Auditor”) to audit the Office, under § 313, as often as the Auditor considers necessary instead of requiring the Auditor to conduct an annual audit of the Office. Section 5 clarifies, under §501, that importers licensed as suppliers must deliver products directly to a licensed warehouse of a Delaware licensed importer because brokerage import firms licensed by the federal government as importers are also licensed as suppliers by the Office and act as agents of suppliers. Section 6 cleans up sentence structure in § 508 to clarify manufacturer and distillery reporting requirements. Section 9 removes the domestic sales cap on production for distilleries licensed under § 512E, because no other state has a similar production cap. Section 10 creates a new § 512H that allows the Delaware Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner (“Commissioner”) to grant to a qualified applicant a special event license for festivals, arts, crafts fairs, and other similar open-air events. The special event license permits the service and sale of alcoholic liquors for consumption on the licensed premises at special events hosted on the licensed premises by the landowner or tenant (the landowner could contract with a promotional company. A qualified applicant may hold only 1 special event license. The licensed premises must meet certain requirements, including having controlled ingress and egress. Also, at each special event sufficient food must be available at all times when alcohol is sold. A licensee must submit each special event to the Commissioner for review and approval at least 30 days prior to the special event (caterers have 20 days to provide the same materials but the Office feels the 10 extra days are needed for larger events), and the appropriate political subdivision must have approved the special event. The Commissioner may suspend a special event license, deny future licenses, or impose a fine of up to $10,000 per violation if the special event license holder has made misrepresentations on its application materials or fails to comply with the requirements of § 512H. Section 11 updates § 514 to allow an in-state manufacturer to donate alcoholic liquors to gathering license holders and require applicants for a biennial premises type gathering license to provide notice of application under § 524, unless the applicant has already been granted a biennial premises type gathering license and has no violations. Section 12 expands § 515A to allow the Commissioner to grant a bottle club license to a business establishment where customers pay a fee to participate in a creative arts experience, including painting, pottery-making, candle-making, or other similar activities. Some of these types of businesses already tell customers that the customers may bring alcohol, like a bottle of wine, on the premises. The bottle club license allows a licensed business’s customers to bring alcohol onto the business’s premises for on-premises consumption by the customer if sufficient food is provided while alcohol is being consumed. Section 13 updates § 516 by replacing “store” with “package store”, which eliminates off-premises licenses for restaurants and clubs because these establishments can now sell alcohol to-go. But the few existing licenses will be grandfathered, just like the taproom off-premises license that was eliminated in 1983. Section 14 gives a property owner or governing body who receives a notice of application under § 524 the option to file protests with the Office by email and updates the Office’s mailing address. Section 16 changes hearing requirements under § 541 so that the Office is not required to hold a hearing to consider a license application and the protests to the application, unless at least 5 persons who filed protests and who reside or own property located within 1 mile of the premises or in any incorporated areas located within 1 mile of the premises pre-register to testify at the hearing. Community members often will sign a filed protest, but then not show up to testify at the hearing. Yet the Office incurs hundreds of dollars in costs, including hiring a court reporter and publishing the hearing notice in 2 newspapers. This causes delay in approving an application and causes the State to incur costs for a hearing it did not need to hold because the application could have been granted on the paperwork. Requiring at least 5 persons to pre-register to testify should help small businesses open more quickly and still preserve a community’s opportunity to address concerns about an application at a hearing. The Office is sensitive to community concerns about license applications and believes that the communities should be able to voice their concerns at a hearing. But the Office also believes that having the option to cancel a hearing, if the persons who file a protest choose not to follow through with the protest, would alleviate unnecessary costs and delays in processing license applications. Section 16 also requires the Office to post the hearing notice on the State Public Meeting Calendar instead of publishing the hearing notice in a newspaper, because hearing notices are already mailed and emailed to individuals who have filed a protest with the Office. Section 18 adds a new license fee under § 554 for the new special event license. Section 18 also adds holders of a beer garden license to the list of licensees required to pay an additional $100 biennial license fee to be deposited in the Overservice Investigation Fund used to implement, administer, and enforce the Delaware Responsible Alcohol Beverage Server Training Program. All other on-premises license types pay the fee and the omission of the beer garden licenses appears to be a statutory oversight. Sections 19 and 21 remove an antiquated provision that permits spouses, brothers, sisters, other family members, and employers to appeal to the Commissioner to investigate, decide, and then prohibit the sale of alcohol to certain people. Section 20 adds requirements for labeling batched cocktails and infused beverages prepared by licensees to § 712, so that customers know the ingredients used in the cocktails and beverages. Section 23 delays implementation of Section 10 and Section 12 of this Act, so that the Office may prepare to implement the new special event license and the new bottle club license. This Act takes effect on the Act’s enactment into law and Section 10 and Section 12 of this Act are to be implemented the earlier of the following: (1) Six months from the date of the Act’s enactment into law. (2) Notice by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner published in the Register of Regulations that final regulations to implement Section 10 and Section 12 of this Act have been adopted. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 11 of Article VIII of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to impose or levy a tax or license fee.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALCOHOL.
SA 1 to SB 243PassedCruceThis Amendment removes from the definition of “restaurant” the requirement that 60% of a restaurant's gross receipts must result from the sale of food for the restaurant to be eligible to be granted a license to sell alcoholic liquors for on-premises consumption. 
SB 260CommitteeCruceAccording to the Arts Education Partnership, 27 states currently include arts course credits as a requirement for high school graduation, and several states have implemented diploma seals or similar recognition programs to incentivize participation. This Act directs the Department of Education to establish the Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence to recognize high school students who demonstrate sustained engagement and achievement in the arts. Establishing a similar program in Delaware could help increase arts enrollment, elevate the value of arts education, and support students interested in pursuing creative professions. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE CERTIFICATE OF ARTS EXCELLENCE.
HCR 105PassedGriffithThis House Concurrent Resolution designates the 21st day of the Month of March 2026 as “Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day” and celebrates the beauty and contributions that people with Down syndrome make in Delaware.RECOGNIZING MARCH 21, 2026, AS "ROCK YOUR SOCKS FOR WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY".
HCR 103PassedChukwuochaThis Resolution recognizes the pertinent work of social workers throughout Delaware and the entire country, encourages the creation and expansion of Social Work programs, and recognizes March 2026 as Social Work Month in the State of Delaware.RECOGNIZING MARCH 2026 AS SOCIAL WORK MONTH IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Legislation Passed By House of Representatives

BillCurrent StatusSponsorSynopsisTitle
HB 253CommitteeMorrisonThis Act provides that a felon may receive letters testamentary, or of administration, when the Register of Wills permits it, in the Register’s discretion, upon good cause shown. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 12 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PERSONS QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE LETTERS TESTAMENTARY OR OF ADMINISTRATION.
HS 1 for HB 84 w/ HA 1CommitteeMorrisonThis Substitute for House Bill No. 84 prohibits employers from requiring meetings or communications the purpose of which is to convey the employer’s political or religious views, including views regarding unionization. The Act enumerates several situations to which the prohibition does not apply, including the communication of religious views by a religious employer, the communication of political views by a political party or organization, and training required to comply with civil rights laws and occupational safety and health laws. The statute also clarifies that the following communications are outside the scope of the prohibition: (1) An employer communicating to its employees any information that the employer is required by law to communicate, but only to the extent of that legal requirement; (2) An employer communicating to its employees any information that is necessary for those employees to perform their job duties; (3) An institution of higher education, or any agent, representative, or designee of that institution, meeting with or participating in any communications with its employees that are part of coursework, any symposia, or an academic program at that institution; (4) An employer that is a public entity communicating to its employees any information related to a policy of the public entity or any law or regulation that the public entity is responsible for administering; and (5) A tax exempt organization, as defined under United States Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(3) communicating with its employees about policy issues that are relevant to the organization, its mission, or the people the organization serves, provided such communication is done in a non-partisan manner. The provision is added to the existing chapter dealing with discrimination in employment, and the Department of Labor is empowered to investigate employer practices, make rules and regulations, and commence civil actions if necessary. The Department of Labor is instructed to update, within 90 days of the effective date of this Act, the notices it prepares for use by employers regarding unlawful discrimination in employment to include the provisions of this Act. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EMPLOYER-SPONSORED MEETINGS OR COMMUNICATIONS.
HB 258CommitteeBoldenThis Act allows any municipality with a population of 50,000 or more to establish by ordinance rules for the location of liquor stores that are more restrictive than state law, and requires the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner to refuse a license for any new establishment that does not comply with those rules.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LICENSES FOR SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
HB 262CommitteeHeffernanThis Act clarifies that paid leave for the adoption of a child may begin at one of the following times: (1) when the child is placed for adoption with the employee; (2) when the employee initiates a petition for adoption; or (3) when the adoption process is completed. AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PAID LEAVE.
HB 265CommitteeRoss LevinThis Act provides limited immunity from prosecution for persons who seek to report a sexual offense. Under this Act a person who is a victim or witness or otherwise seeks law enforcement assistance in relation to a sexual offense may not be charged, arrested, or prosecuted, or issued a civil citation for low-level crimes relating to drug or alcohol use or possession. This Act also provides that a person’s probation or pretrial release status may not be revoked or changed based on an incident for which the person would receive the limited immunity from prosecution provided under this statute.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SEXUAL OFFENSE REPORTING AND IMMUNITY FOR CERTAIN CRIMES.
HB 271CommitteeOsienskiThis Act clarifies the application of the marijuana establishment spacing requirement in § 1354(e), Title 4 of the Delaware Code, by specifying that the distance limitation applies only to retail marijuana licenses. The Act aligns the marijuana licensing framework with Delaware’s existing liquor-control statutes, which impose spacing requirements on consumer-facing retail outlets but not on upstream operations such as production or wholesale activities. By limiting the spacing requirement to retail licenses, the Act permits the co-location of non-retail marijuana operations, including cultivation, manufacturing, and testing facilities, while preserving the Commissioner’s full regulatory authority over licensing, inspection, and enforcement.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENT SPACING REQUIREMENTS.
HA 1 to HS 1 for HB 84PassedMorrisonThis amendment clarifies that the statute does not prohibit any tax exempt organization from communicating with its employees about policy issues that are relevant to the organization, its mission, or the people the organization serves.  
HB 296CommitteeWilson-AntonThis Act makes several changes to the Delaware Code relating to the Department of Finance (“Department”). Specifically: (1) Section 1 of this Act increases public transparency and clarifies that any officer or employee of the Department, or employee of this State who has access to tax returns or information from tax returns, may disclose information that appeared on the face of an expired license previously required to be displayed under § 2109 of Title 30. (2) Sections 2 and 3 of this Act define a trust fund tax, lists current trust fund tax types, and updates Title 30 to align all assessment and collection timelines for trust fund tax types. (3) Section 4 of this Act simplifies that the requirements that allow the Department’s Division of Revenue to take an extended lookback by removing repealed taxes and clarifying that exceptional underreporting measures are applied only against the tax liability and not other tax calculation elements. (4) Section 5 of this Act updates Title 30 regarding the notice of finality as it relates to trust fund taxes. (5) Section 6 of this Act modifies the filing due date for all 1099 forms to January 31 following the close of the taxpayer’s taxable year. (6) Section 7 of this Act clarifies the definition of “transfer.” (7) Sections 8, 9, and 10 of this Act make retroactive technical changes to the trade name registration process under Title 6.AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 AND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
HA 1 to HB 269PassedBurnsThis Amendment requires that electric suppliers adopt the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's Model Interconnection Procedures within 12 months of the Procedures' publishing date. It further provides that any deviation from the Procedures must be affirmatively approved by the utility's regulatory body in a formal proceeding. The utility regulating authority may also establish, monitor, and enforce mandatory interconnection application processing timelines and project milestones within its interconnection rules. Commission-regulated electric utilities may recover implementation costs including administrative fees, back-office technology upgrades, and customer system investments necessary to decrease overall project execution timelines.  
SCR 149PassedPooreThis Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 2026 as “Kidney Month” in Delaware and highlights the importance of kidney disease awareness, prevention, early detection, and organ donation.RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF MARCH 2026 AS “KIDNEY MONTH” IN DELAWARE.
SCR 150PassedPooreThis Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 2026 as “Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month” in the State of Delaware and highlights the importance of education, prevention, and early detection to reduce the impact of colorectal cancer. RECOGNIZING MARCH 2026 AS "COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
SCR 151PassedPooreThis Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 18, 2026, as “National Youth Heart Screening Day” in the State of Delaware and reaffirms our commitment to preventing sudden cardiac arrest through increased awareness, expanded heart screenings, education, and access to lifesaving tools and training.RECOGNIZING MARCH 18, 2026, AS “NATIONAL YOUTH HEART SCREENING DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
SCR 152PassedLockmanThis Senate Concurrent Resolution designates the Month of March 2026 as “March for the Arts” in the State Delaware to recognize the critical role that the arts play in providing a well-rounded education for Delaware’s youth, which in turn supports Delaware’s community vibrancy and creative economy.DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF MARCH 2026 AS “MARCH FOR THE ARTS” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Senate Committee Assignments

Committee
Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology
Education
Elections & Government Affairs
Environment, Energy & Transportation
Finance
Judiciary
Labor

House Committee Assignments

Committee
Appropriations
Health & Human Development
Housing

Senate Committee Report

No Senate Committee Report

House Committee Report

No House Committee Report

Senate Defeated Legislation

No Senate Defeated Legislation

House Defeated Legislation

No House Defeated Legislation

Nominations Enacted upon by the Senate

NomineeStatusCommission/BoardReappointment
Brown, Barbara S.ConfirmedMember, Delaware Harness Racing CommissionNew
Horne, RandallConfirmedMember, Environmental Appeals BoardReappointment
Horsey, MichaelConfirmedMember, Environmental Appeals BoardReappointment
Marinucci, MicheleConfirmedMember, State Board of EducationNew
Smith, AliaConfirmedMember, Environmental Appeals BoardNew
Winstead, ChereseConfirmedMember, Water Infrastructure Advisory CouncilNew
Witham, William L.ConfirmedMember, State Board of ElectionsNew