Committee Report Details
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On its Merits:
Unfavorable:
Daily Report for 5/21/2026
Governor's Actions
No legislation is Signed by Governor Today
New Legislation Introduced
| Bill | Current Status | Sponsor | Synopsis | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCR 198 | Passed | Lockman | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes the historic and cultural significance of Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, one of the oldest Black congregations in Delaware. This Resolution expresses the support and solidarity of the Delaware General Assembly for the congregation and surrounding community following the devastating fire of May 17, 2026. | RECOGNIZING THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF MOTHER AFRICAN UNION CHURCH AND EXPRESSING THE SUPPORT OF THE DELAWARE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR ITS CONGREGATION AND COMMUNITY FOLLOWING THE DEVASTATING FIRE OF MAY 17, 2026. |
| HA 1 to SB 275 | Passed | Cooke | This Amendment removes a reference to "state" excavation practices from the definition of “Test Holes.”. | |
| HA 1 to HS 1 for HB 155 | PWB | Spiegelman | This amendment requires public officers to annually report in their financial disclosure report to the Public Integrity Commission, which will be published by the Commission, any travel expenses which include transportation, lodging, entertainment, food and beverage, which in aggregate total in excess of $250, paid for by any third party, not including the State of Delaware. The recipient may rely on representations of value made by the source of the expense payments. | |
| HB 434 | Committee | Harris | This Act creates a rebuttable presumption that the Court shall order equal parenting time if the parties live within 25 miles of the child’s daycare or school. Equal parenting time may be amended if it is determined a parent is not tending to the child’s health or educational needs. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS. |
| HS 1 for HB 412 | Passed | Carson | This Substitute is different from the original bill in that it adds the activities of fishing, crabbing and clamming as requiring a license consistent with line 18 already in the code. The substitute also clarifies in section 2 that dogs may be used for tracking or recovering a wounded or dead deer that was lawfully shot during open deer season. Section 1 of this Act closes a loophole that allows hunters and trappers who are exempt from obtaining a Delaware hunting or trapping license to avoid completing a Department-approved hunting or trapping education program. Although many exempt hunters and trappers already complete these programs, this legislation codifies the requirement. This Act also updates and clarifies the statutory language governing administration of drugs to wildlife. Section 2 of this Act adds language to expressly permit the sale of taxidermy and antlers from lawfully taken deer. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform with the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUNTING, TRAPPING, GAME ANIMALS, GAME BIRDS, DEER, AND PROTECTED WILDLIFE. |
| HA 1 to HS 1 for HB 216 | PWB | K. Williams | This Amendment to H.S. 1 to HB 216 aligns the State ban on foreign contributions or expenditures in State elections with that of the federal law for clarity and consistency. It also removes the requirement that a candidate committee or political party disclose additional details about each expenditure on an advertisement, including the target audience. Finally, this Amendment adds a severability clause. | |
| HS 1 for HB 233 w/ HA 1, HA 1 to HA 1, HA 3 + SA 2 | Passed | Burns | This Act requires regulated utilities to establish a separate rate class for large energy use facilities that mitigates the risk of costs associated with expanding infrastructure and maintaining reliability in the face of growing demand from being shifted to residential, small business, and other electric customers. Wherever possible, the costs of large energy use facilities should be directly assigned to those facilities, and where direct assignment is not possible, the costs should be allocated to the class of large energy use facilities and not to other customer classes. To accomplish this, the Act sets forth minimum requirements for Electric Service Agreements (ESAs) and Transmission Security Agreement (TSAs) to be in place for any large energy use facility. The Commission shall promulgate regulations to implement these agreements. ESAs shall be reviewed and approved by the Commission prior to the interconnection of a large energy use facility and provide a regulatory framework to enable responsible developers of large energy use facilities to enter into agreements to fairly allocate costs among customer classes. The Public Service Commission will consider several factors in determining whether to approve an ESA, including consistency with the Commission’s regulations; whether the ESA and tariff ensure that all costs attributable to the large energy use facility are assigned to the class of large energy use facilities; whether other customers are adequately protected from the risk of paying stranded asset costs; the impact of the large energy use facility on delivering safe, adequate, and reliability electricity; the impact on the State, including the economy, other ratepayers, and environmental impacts; and the viability of the developer of the facility. In combination, the ESAs and the large load tariff shall ensure that, wherever possible, distribution infrastructure investment costs, capacity procurement costs, reliability backstop procurement costs, transmission infrastructure costs, and study costs attributable to a large energy use facility are all directly assigned to that large energy use facility. Where direct assignment is not possible, these costs should be allocated to the class of large energy use customers. The Commission shall develop an “incremental cost test” to measure the revenues and costs from a large energy use facility to ensure that there are not cost shifts to other customers. The Act further establishes interruptability requirements for large energy use facilities to ensure other customers are protected from reliability impacts caused by large energy use facilities. Facilities that construct or cause to be constructed new in state generation may exempt themselves from interruptability. Finally, the Act requires large energy use facilities to contribute to the low income fund and green energy fund at higher rates than other customers and requires large energy use facilities to contribute to renewable portfolio standard costs and qualified fuel cell provider costs. The Act takes effect upon enactment and regulated utilities must file an application to establish rates required under this Act within 180 days of the effective date. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LARGE ENERGY USE FACILITIES. |
| SA 1 to SB 287 | Stricken | Hoffner | This Amendment makes a clarification that it is only a prohibition on knowingly commingling the contents of waste and recyclable containers in collection as well as a technical correction in the sentence. It also makes clear that recycling collectors may report to the Department instances of repeated contamination of recyclable containers. It also clarifies who should be included in the periodic stakeholder meetings convened by the Department. |
Legislation Passed By Senate
| Bill | Current Status | Sponsor | Synopsis | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB 272 w/ SA 1 | Out of Committee | Walsh | This Act requires that if public works project is for a school district and has an aggregate cost of $1 million or more, a contract relating to that public works project, advertised after December 31, 2026, must include a project labor agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council unless there was only 1 bid for the craft under the contract. A project labor agreement is a type of collective bargaining agreement in the construction industry that is generally negotiated before construction begins. Project labor agreements are intended to provide a legally binding and enforceable contract primarily related to labor conditions and labor-management relations. The requirements under this Act are not regulatory. Under existing law, school districts must comply with the procurement requirements for State agencies under Chapter 69 of Title 29. As such, the requirements under this Act apply only to contracts where this State is acting as a market participant and has a proprietary interest. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTS. |
| SB 280 | Passed | Townsend | Scams and fraud related to gift cards are rapidly becoming a major issue in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission reported more than 41,000 gift card fraud reports or $212 million in losses in 2024 with the final numbers for 2025 expected to be similar. With advancements in technology, these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and consequential for consumers. This Act sets forth the definitions and elements of crimes related to gift card theft. It establishes that a person is guilty of gift card theft if one of the following criteria is true (with the intent to defraud): 1. Acquires or retains possession of a gift card or gift card redemption information without the consent of the cardholder, card issuer, or gift card seller. 2. Alters or tampers with a gift card or the packaging in which it is offered for sale. 3. Devises a scheme to obtain a gift card or gift card redemption information that has been obtained in violation of paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section or as a result of a scheme described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. 4. Uses, for the purpose of obtaining money, goods, services, or anything else of value, a gift card or gift card redemption information that has been obtained in violation of paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section or as a result of a scheme described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. Lastly, this Act establishes that gift card theft is punishable under § 841(c) and § 841(d) of Title 11. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THEFT. |
| SB 293 w/ SA 1 + HA 1 | Passed | Paradee | This Act simplifies the licensing requirements for youth camps that are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA) by requiring that the Department of Education's Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) deem a youth camp as meeting all equivalent health and safety requirements necessary for a youth camp license if the youth camp has ACA accreditation through August 30 of the current calendar year. By streamlining the OCCL licensing requirements for youth camps, this Act also increases the availability of summer child care that is eligible for provider reimbursement from the Purchase of Care (POC) program. Under existing OCCL regulations, a youth camp has the option of applying for either license exempt status or a license. To obtain a license, a youth camp must meet very detailed and specific requirements that are challenging, if not impossible, for many youth camps. ACA accreditation requires that a camp satisfies health and safety requirements that are similar and equivalent, but not identical, to the OCCL license requirements. However, an ACA accredited but license-exempt youth camp is unable to receive POC provider reimbursement because under the state plan for the federal Child Care and Development Fund, license exempt child care providers are not eligible for provider reimbursement. This Act also codifies the following policies that are in the current OCCL child care licensing regulations: • A youth camp license and the definition of “youth camp”. • The requirement that a youth camp must have a valid Division of Public Health permit to be licensed or approved as license exempt. • The school-age care, programs, and activities that are exempt from child care license requirements. This Act is effective immediately and § 3003A(c)(4)b. of Title 14 must be implemented no later than December 31, 2026. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CHILD CARE LICENSES FOR YOUTH CAMPS. |
| SS 1 for SB 161 | Passed | Pinkney | This Act revises Delaware law governing behavioral health treatment provider organizations by establishing a comprehensive statutory framework governing licensing, oversight, enforcement, client rights, provider duties, incident reporting, and investigations relating to behavioral health treatment services. The Act consolidates and modernizes statutory provisions governing behavioral health treatment oversight and clarifies the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health's authority to license programs, investigate incidents, and enforce compliance with this chapter. This Act is a substitute for and differs from Senate Bill No. 161 by doing all of the following: (1) Expands the definition of the protection and advocacy system to reference all applicable federal protection and advocacy statutes. (2) Revises the client rights provisions by reorganizing and clarifying the rights framework, adding rights related to discharge planning and continuing care, clarifying the standard for permissible limitations on client rights, including a requirement that any limitation be for the shortest duration feasible, and revising the standard governing the use of restrictive intervention to align with existing Delaware law. (3) Expands standing to enforce client rights to include clients and their authorized representatives in addition to the Attorney General and the protection and advocacy system. (4) Adds a savings clause clarifying that nothing in this Act abrogates the rights and requirements applicable to long-term care facilities under Chapter 11 of Title 16. (5) Adds elopement to the definition of incident for purposes of the incident reporting requirements. (6) Modifies the provisions relating to the protection and advocacy system by expanding the system's access authority to reference all applicable federal and State law, adding a requirement that the Division notify the protection and advocacy system no more than 72 hours after receiving a report of a client death, authorizing staff to make discretionary reports to the protection and advocacy system, and extending anti-retaliation protections to staff who report to or cooperate with the protection and advocacy system. (7) Adds a framework for the confidentiality of incident reports and investigation records while authorizing the Division to publish aggregate, de-identified information regarding incidents and trends across the behavioral health system. (8) Adds an injunctive relief pathway allowing the Department to seek a temporary restraining order in the Court of Chancery when a provider organization's activities create an imminent risk of substantial harm to clients. (9) Updates language throughout to reflect current person-centered terminology consistent with the preferences of the disability community. (10) Makes technical and conforming changes for clarity and consistency. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 28 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to create a new crime within the jurisdiction of any inferior court of this State. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 16 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. |
| SB 296 w/ SA 1 | Signed | Poore | This Act adds a new paragraph (c) to § 137 of Title 16, which provides that the Attorney General shall use the Delaware Health Fund to enforce and litigate the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement and the 2018 Non-Participating Manufacturers (NPM) Adjustment Settlement Agreement (NPMSA) between the State and the tobacco manufacturers pursuant to 16 Del. C. § 137 and 29 Del. C. chs. 60C and D. This Act also adds a new paragraph (i) to § 137, which provides that the Department of Health and Social Services, in consultation with the Division of Public Health, shall administer a competitive grant program to make recommendations for the expenditure of money appropriated from the Delaware Health Fund in accordance with the procedure set forth in paragraph (i) to make recommendations for the award of grants to private organizations, consistent with the purposes and criteria in § 137. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH FUND. |
| SB 306 w/ HA 1 | Passed | Huxtable | This Act amends the City of Rehoboth Beach’s Charter by making all of the following changes requested by The Commissioners of the City of Rehoboth Beach (Rehoboth Beach): 1. Adds qualifications for candidates to be eligible for election or appointment to serve as a member of The Commissioners, including the Mayor, and requires a candidate to file an affidavit of eligibility attesting that the candidate meets the required qualifications. A candidate for election or appointment must meet all of the following qualifications: - The candidate is not a spouse, domestic partner, or cohabitant of a serving member of The Commissioners. - The candidate does not share a financial interest with a serving member of The Commissioners 2. Eliminates mileage reimbursement for non-resident Commissioners. 3. Updates the process for fixing the salaries for members of The Commissioners, including the Mayor, by allowing The Commissioners to fix the salaries by ordinance. An ordinance to increase salaries may not take effect earlier than 6 months after the ordinance is adopted. 4. Eliminates the Mayor’s civil and criminal jurisdiction because Rehoboth Beach has an Alderman and Assistant Alderman with civil and criminal jurisdiction. Also eliminates the Mayor’s duty to keep a docket of official acts and to report fines the Mayor imposes because the Mayor’s Court is eliminated. The Alderman and Assistant Alderman are required to record all official acts in the Alderman’s docket. Also, information regarding actions taken by the Mayor and the other Commissioners is available on Rehoboth Beach’s public website. 5. Adds a new subsection under Section 13 of the Charter to clarify that the Mayor retains the power to solemnize marriages in Rehoboth Beach, even though the Mayor’s Court is eliminated. 6. Eliminates the penalties for the Mayor failing to return documents and moneys belonging to Rehoboth Beach at the end of the Mayor’s term. Due to advancements in technology, the Mayor does not physically hold moneys belonging to Rehoboth Beach and documents belonging to Rehoboth Beach are stored electronically. 7. For violating an ordinance, increases the maximum fine from $500 to $2,500 and removes the penalties of imprisonment and being ordered to work while imprisoned. 8. Updates the Auditors of Accounts section to do all of the following: - Require the appointment of 1 certified public accountant or accounting firm to serve as an independent Auditor of Accounts (Auditor) for a 5-year term. - Prohibit reappointment of an Auditor until the expiration of 5 years since the Auditor last served. - Remove the requirement that the Auditor to be a substantial freeholder in Rehoboth Beach. - Change publication of the auditor’s report from a newspaper to the Rehoboth Beach website. 9. Removes the minimum valuation for real estate or improvements subject to assessment. 10. Adds the option for Rehoboth Beach to adopt county assessments for municipal tax purposes in compliance with Chapter 11 of Title 22 of the Delaware Code. 11. If Rehoboth Beach does not adopt county assessments, requires the Tax Assessor must reassess property at least every 5 years, to mirror the county reassessments required under § 8306 of Title 9 of the Delaware Code. 12. Updates the deadline for certification of a quarterly supplemental tax list to match Rehoboth Beach’s fiscal year. 13. Requires Rehoboth Beach to calculate the rolled-back rate and to provide notice of the difference between the rolled-back rate and the tax rate set by The Commissioners, as provided in § 1105 of Title 22 of the Delaware Code. 14. Changes the deadline for preparing the City Budget from May to March and changes the deadline for levying annual taxes from June to March because Rehoboth Beach’s fiscal year begins on April 1. 15. Updates the process for fixing the compensation or salary for Rehoboth Beach’s employees, officers, and agents, other than the members of the Commissioners, to conform with modern practices. Salary or compensation is fixed in the City Budget instead of at the annual meeting. 16. Removes The Commissioners’ powers to do all of the following because the powers are no longer relevant to present day and are no longer exercised by The Commissioners: - Regulate the observance of the Sabbath Day. - Establish and regulate pounds. - Prohibit or impound wild or domestic animals. - Impose taxes on dog owners. - Collect a per capita tax on all persons who are qualified to vote in the annual municipal election. 17. Changes the cap on real estate taxes from $3,000,000 to 0.1% of the fully assessed value of all real estate located in Rehoboth Beach. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including reorganizing paragraphs, deleting redundant language, correcting typos and misspellings, fixing tabulation, and editing outdated or unclear language. The changes to Sections 7, 29A, and 38 of the Charter are technical changes and not substantive changes. These changes to these Sections to fix typos and misspellings, correct internal references, use consistent terms, and reorganize the Sections so that the language is more clear. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a municipal charter. | AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF REHOBOTH BEACH. |
| SS 1 for SB 278 w/ HA 1 | Passed | Paradee | Like Senate Bill No. 278, Senate Substitute No. 1 for SB 278 requires that the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) regulations for Purchase of Care (POC), this State's child care assistance program, provide authorization for a child care provider that a child will attend during the summer at any time after January 1 because current regulations do not provide authorization for summer care early enough for families to enroll children in summer camps before camps are full. SS 1 for SB 278 differs from SB 278 as follows: • Does not codify the POC eligibility for children in the custody of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families. • Revises the requirement that a summer child care provider must be authorized after January 1 so it clearly applies to all children receiving POC assistance. • Clarifies that an authorization for a summer child care provider must be provided in addition to all provider authorizations for the child’s care during the school year. Like SB 278, SS 1 for SB 278 does all of the following: • Adds the name of this State's child care assistance program, "Purchase of Care" or "POC" to Chapter 5 of Title 31. • Codifies the current policy that parent copayments are determined based on household size and income. • Requires that parent copayments also be based on whether the child receives assistance for a full or half day of child care. • Provides that the authorization for a summer child care provider provided in advance of attendance may be for purposes of enrollment only and is subject to meeting eligibility requirements at the time the child attends. • Makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act is effective immediately because under § 10113 of Title 29, amendments that make existing regulations consistent with changes in basic law are exempt from the procedural requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE. |
| SS 1 for SB 255 | Passed | Buckson | Currently, window tint or other material placed on the front side windows of a motor vehicle must have a visible light transmission of 70% or greater unless the vehicle’s owner has a statement signed by a licensed practitioner of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine or optometry verifying that tinted windows are medically necessary. Currently, there is not a visible light transmission requirement for the side windows behind the driver or the rear window. This Act is a substitute for Senate Bill No. 255. Like Senate Bill No. 255, this Act does all of the following: (1) Changes the visible light transmission requirement for window tint or other material placed on the front side windows. (2) Clarifies that there is not a visible light transmission requirement for the side windows behind the driver or the rear window. (3) Clarifies the exception for vehicles operated by a law-enforcement officer by exempting these vehicles from this law. This Act differs from Senate Bill No. 255 by changing the visible requirement for window tint or other material placed on the front side windows, and side wings, from 35% or great to 50% or greater. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TINTING OF MOTOR VEHICLE WINDSHIELD, WINDOWS, OR SIDE WINGS. |
| SB 308 w/ SA 1 | Passed | Hansen | This legislation shall be known and may be cited as the “Load Forecast Accountability Act.” Recent reports by PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM), have highlighted that electricity demand across the PJM footprint, including Delaware, is projected to grow due to data centers, electrification of vehicles and buildings, and other large load additions. PJM recently projected that, by 2030, PJM expects to add 32 GW of load to the grid – 30 GW of which is attributable to data centers. PJM relies upon load forecasts submitted by Commission-regulated electric distribution companies in Delaware to establish system planning needs and capacity requirements which ultimately have costs associated with both. Accurate, transparent, load forecasting is essential to ensure the adequacy of electric supply, maintain system reliability, and protect Delaware consumers from unnecessary costs caused by overbuilding or underbuilding system resources. There is a critical need for the Delaware Public Service Commission to provide oversight of load forecasting inputs from Commission-regulated electric distribution companies, to ensure accuracy and transparency, and to coordinate with PJM and neighboring state regulators to prevent duplicative counting of projects and customer contracts. The purpose of this Act is to provide the Commission with authority and responsibility to: (1) Review and evaluate load forecasts submitted by Delaware Commission-regulated electric distribution companies to PJM; (2) Coordinate with PJM and other states to ensure accurate system-wide planning; and (3) Access all relevant materials, including confidential agreements, necessary to carry out this oversight. Under this Act, the Commission is required to submit a written report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Director and the Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services no later than May 1 of each year on its progress in implementing this Act. This report must also be posted on the Commission’s website. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE LOAD FORECAST ACCOUNTABILITY ACT. |
| SB 309 w/ SA 1 | Passed | Seigfried | This Act removes authority from the Department of Corrections to deduct pay from inmate accounts for a proportionate share of the costs of incarceration of inmates in the facility in which the inmate is housed. 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 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WORK BY INMATES. |
| SS 1 for SB 300 w/ SA 1 + HA 15, HA 16 | Passed | Sokola | This Act is a substitute for Senate Bill No. 300. Like SB 300, this Act requires firearm dealers to obtain a state license to sell or transfer firearms under Chapter 9B instead of the license to sell deadly weapons under Chapter 9 of Title 24. Like SB 300, this Act does all of the following: -Establishes in statute factors that make a person ineligible to obtain a state license to sell or transfer firearms or to serve as a responsible person for a state license holder (licensee). -Heightens and adds more specific security requirements. -Heightens and centralizes recordkeeping and reporting requirements. -Requires background checks for contractors and volunteers with access to the licensee's firearms or performing certain tasks for a licensee. -Establishes training requirements. -Includes a recurring inspection by the DSP to ensure licensees are in compliance with State law. -Establishes civil penalties and possible license revocation in the event of violations. This Act differs from Senate Bill No. 300 as follows: -Changes the definition of firearm to reference 11 Del. C. § 222. -Removes the license fee ranges that are dependent on the number of firearms sold or transferred and instead sets flat and established license fees at $300 for an initial license and $250 to renew a state license. This Act makes corresponding changes throughout to account for the change in license fee structure. -Removes the licensee requirement to report firearm trace information to the Attorney General and the Attorney General’s publication of an annual report. Instead, firearm trace information will be provided as part of a licensee’s renewal application and will be provided to the General Assembly by the Delaware State Police (DSP). -Background checks are required once every 2 years, instead of annually. Relatedly, the background check obtained by a licensee or responsible person is valid for 2 years for purposes of applying for an initial license or a license renewal under this chapter. -Establishes December 31 of each year as the date that license renewal applications are due. Initial licenses that are granted after January 1 of each year may receive a prorated license fee. This Act makes corresponding changes throughout to account for the date change. -Changes the DSP report about licensee status from an annual report due by December 1 to a biennial report due on March 1. -Adds that the Delaware Department of Justice also has general investigative authority to investigate a breach of Chapter 9B. Under SB 300, only DSP had this authority. -Removes the requirement that a licensee maintain all security system recordings for at least 3 years. DSP shall promulgate regulations that establish how long a licensee shall maintain recordings. -The General Assembly shall expend any money collected in the Firearm Licensing Fund in furtherance of implementing this Act and Chapter 9 of Title 24. -Delays implementation and gradually phases in the requirements in this Act, beginning by July 1, 2028, with DSP notification to people with valid special licenses to sell deadly weapons under Chapter 9 of Title 24 about the changes in law and the potential that a license under this Act may be required. Changes made by this Act to Delaware’s licensing system are in recognition of a growing body of evidence that demonstrates that firearms dealers’ sales practices affect the probability of firearms entering the illegal market, and that policies designed to hold dealers accountable can curtail illegal use of firearms and the concomitant crimes. According to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Violence Solutions, utilizing data from the Centers for Disease Control, firearms are used in 78% of homicides that occur in Delaware. In addition to loss of life, firearm violence has an economic impact, costing Delawareans $1.3 billion per year, which amounts to $1,236 per resident. An article in the Journal of Urban Health found that in-state trafficking was 64 percent lower in places with strong firearm dealer regulations and oversight. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health, examining 20 years of data, found that state licensing requirements and laws requiring or allowing inspections or audits of firearm dealers were independently associated with significantly lower firearm homicide rates. The ATF has oversight over firearms dealers, but its efforts are insufficient. Though the ATF aims to inspect firearm dealers at least every three years, at the rate inspections are performed, a dealer can expect inspection only once every 9 years. ATF data reveals that, when they occur, dealer inspections generally yield a large number of violations. In sum, the frequency of violations and the rarity of inspections allow the possibility that dealers are violating law each year without any corrective action by the ATF. According to data compiled by Brady United, there is State-specific evidence to suggest Delaware’s firearm licensing system would benefit from reform to protect the health and safety of our residents. According to 2017 through 2021 ATF data, 6,626 firearms were recovered in Delaware by law enforcement, after either having been used in a crime, found at a crime scene, or where the purchase or possession of the firearm was itself illegal (“crime guns”). Half of these crime guns were recovered by law enforcement within 3 years of retail purchase, which is indicative of potential firearm trafficking. The data also raises concerns about potential straw purchasing in our State, as there was a mismatch in the identity of the firearm purchaser and firearm possessor during a criminal offense in 72% of the traceable cases. Furthermore, 67% of the firearms recovered by law enforcement in this State were sourced from in-State firearm dealers. Delaware is also a significant supplier of crime guns to other states, most significantly Maryland (12.2% of the crime guns recovered come from Delaware dealers) and Pennsylvania (8.9% if the crime guns recovered come from Delaware dealers). | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11, TITLE 16, AND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DEADLY WEAPONS DEALERS. |
| SB 317 | Passed | Lawson | This Act designates the month of May as "Veterans Month" in the State of Delaware. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 1 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO VETERANS MONTH. |
| SA 1 to SB 308 | Passed | Hansen | This amendment adds specific matters that the Delaware Public Service Commission should consider when the Commission investigates the methodologies, data, and assumptions used by Commission-regulated electric distribution companies in developing load forecasts submitted to PJM. | |
| HCR 135 | Passed | K. Johnson | This resolution recognizes the importance and expertise of Direct Support Professionals to our state on the occasion of May 21st as “Direct Support Professional Advocacy Day" sponsored by the Ability Network of Delaware and A Team Delaware. | RECOGNIZING MAY 21ST AS “DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL ADVOCACY DAY” AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE HISTORIC SACRIFICES AND ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS OF DELAWARE’S DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS SERVING VULNERABLE ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL/DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. |
| SA 1 to SB 309 | Passed | Seigfried | This Amendment discharges all balances owed by individuals ordered to pay a share of the costs of incarceration under § 6532(f)(3) of Title 11 of the Delaware Code. | |
| HCR 136 | Passed | Berry | This concurrent resolution recognizes May 29th, 2026, as "DE529 Day" and urges the citizens of Delaware to begin saving for their children's education. | RECOGNIZING MAY 29TH, 2026, AS “DE529 DAY”. |
| SA 1 to SB 296 | Passed | Poore | This amendment allows the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services to identify an individual to serve as the Secretary’s designee on the Delaware Health Fund Advisory Committee. This amendment also makes an exception for the upcoming fiscal year, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, for the Division of Public Health to issue requests for proposals to private organizations for programs and services consistent with the purposes set forth in § 137(d) of the Public Health Fund, to allow sufficient time to prepare the requests for proposals. | |
| SA 1 to SB 272 | Passed | Walsh | This Amendment changes when a contract relating to a public works project for a school district is required to have a project labor agreement as follows: • Increases the minimum aggregate cost of the public works project from $1 million to $5 million. • Instead of exempting contracts if there was only 1 bid for the craft, the requirement to have a project labor agreement only applies if 2 or more bids for the craft are from a business legally bound to a collective bargaining agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council. | |
| SA 1 to SS 1 for SB 300 | Passed | Sokola | This Amendment removes the requirement that a licensee shall make the licensee’s records available to a law-enforcement agency and to the manufacturer of the firearm on request. | |
| SA 1 to SB 293 | Passed | Paradee | This Amendment corrects a typographical error. |
Legislation Passed By House of Representatives
| Bill | Current Status | Sponsor | Synopsis | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB 198 | Signed | Poore | This Act amends the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law to adopt the protections of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973’s Section 504 (“Section 504”), and its implementing regulations as those regulations existed on January 1, 2025. This bill will help ensure that Delawareans with disabilities get broad and full protection within Delaware. The bill also adds that references to Section 504 in other parts of Delaware law or regulation will be considered a reference to the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EQUAL ACCOMMODATIONS |
| SB 216 w/ SA 1 | Signed | Buckson | This Act adopts the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact (“Compact”). This Compact takes effect on the date on which this Compact is enacted into law in 7 states. As of January 2026, this Compact has been enacted in 5 states and has been filed in 6 other states. This Compact is an interstate occupational licensure compact for respiratory therapists. There are approximately 130,000 licensed respiratory therapists in the United States. Licensees currently face significant barriers providing services across state borders, even when they meet the qualifications to practice in another state. This Compact will facilitate multistate practice by reducing unnecessary licensure burdens and improve public safety by enhancing state information sharing. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO A RESPIRATORY CARE INTERSTATE COMPACT. |
| SB 217 | Signed | Buckson | This Act adopts the Cosmetology Licensure Compact (“Compact”). The Compact is active because enough states have enacted legislation to adopt the Compact. The purpose of the Compact is to reduce the burdens on state governments and to facilitate and regulate the interstate practice of cosmetology by creating a framework for a multistate licensing program. The multistate licensing program provides increased value and mobility to licensed cosmetologists, including military members and their spouses, and ensures safe, competent, and reliable cosmetology services are provided to the public. The Compact allows individuals residing in a state that joins the Compact (a “member state”) to apply, through the state, for a multistate license. A multistate license allows a qualifying licensee to practice cosmetology in all member states. Applicants for a multistate license must hold an unrestricted license to practice cosmetology in the applicant’s home state and must meet educational, national licensing examination, and background check requirements to qualify for a multistate license. Licensees must meet continuing competency requirements to qualify for renewal of a multistate license. Member states share information related to disciplinary actions against licensees, investigations of licensees, and anything that would disqualify a licensee from holding a multistate license so that each member state is aware if a licensee’s authority to practice is restricted or if the licensee is disqualified from practicing cosmetology. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE COSMETOLOGY LICENSURE COMPACT. |
| SB 237 | Signed | Cruce | This bill directly responds to New Castle County Council Resolution 26-018 by expressly authorizing New Castle County Council to establish a right of tenure for New Castle County’s Assistant County Attorneys and other professional legal staff by ordinance. Like the similar rights granted to the employees of the State of Delaware Department of Justice and the City of Wilmington’s legal staff, these rights will serve to promote recruitment and retention of high-quality legal professionals, promote continuity of legal services, and further the public’s interest in the provision of independent legal advice. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEYS AND OTHER LEGAL PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED WITH NEW CASTLE COUNTY. |
| SB 253 w/ HA 1 | Passed | Sturgeon | This Act revises the parent notification requirements for school bullying policies by repealing the requirement that notification be made using a form generated by the Department of Justice (DOJ). This change conforms to DOJ’s current practices and procedures related to involvement with student behavior issues. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL BULLYING. |
| SB 276 | Signed | Hansen | This Act amends Delaware law to provide that electric cooperatives are not required to provide electric supply service to large load electric users with a projected monthly demand of more than 50MW. Electric cooperatives remain obligated to provide supply service to all customers in its service territory using less than 50MW. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES. |
| HA 1 to HB 350 | Passed | Neal | This Amendment adds that the Department of Education shall collaborate with representatives of the Delaware homeschooling community, including Tri-State Homeschool, Inc., Delaware First State Homeschool, and the MidAtlantic African American Homeschooling Cooperative. | |
| SCR 194 | Passed | Walsh | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes the month of June 2026 as Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month in the State of Delaware. | RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2026 AS MYASTHENIA GRAVIS AWARENESS MONTH IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| SCR 186 | Passed | Hocker | This Senate Concurrent Resolution proclaims May 2026 "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month" in the State of Delaware. | PROCLAIMING MAY 2026 AS "CYSTIC FIBROSIS AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| SCR 188 | Passed | Poore | This Concurrent Resolution designates May 14, 2026, as “IgAN Awareness Day” in the State of Delaware. | DESIGNATING MAY 14, 2026 AS “IGAN AWARENESS DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| SCR 195 | Passed | Wilson | This Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes September 2026 as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" in the State of Delaware. | RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER 2026 AS "PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| SCR 196 | Passed | Huxtable | This resolution designates May 21, 2026, 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 21, 2026, AS “GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| HA 2 to HB 328 | Passed | Harris | This Amendment returns language providing copies of the Register of Regulations to the 2 state daily newspapers and delays the effect of the changes to § 1134(a)(6), Title 29 until July 1, 2027, to allow time for the implementation of the necessary technological updates. | |
| HA 1 to SB 253 | Passed | K. Williams | This Amendment requires schools to use the template developed by the Department of Education for parental notification of alleged bullying. | |
| HA 2 to HB 380 | Passed | Griffith | This Amendment contains the same changes to House Bill No. 380 as Amendment 1 to House Bill No. 380, with the exception that it changes exceptions to the disclosure of sensitive data to apply only to the disclosure of sensitive data in a sale of personal data, and clarifies that the chapter does not apply to federal or state chartered banks, credit unions, savings associations, or affiliates or subsidiaries thereof that are principally engaged in financial activities. |
Senate Committee Assignments
| Committee |
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| Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology |
| Education |
| Elections & Government Affairs |
| Environment, Energy & Transportation |
| Executive |
| Health & Social Services |
House Committee Assignments
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| Administration |
| Agriculture |
| Appropriations |
| Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce |
| Education |
| Health & Human Development |
| Judiciary |
| Labor |
| Natural Resources & Energy |
| Public Safety & Homeland Security |
Senate Committee Report
| Committee |
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| Elections & Government Affairs |
| Environment, Energy & Transportation |
| Executive |
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
No Records