| HB 190 w/ HA 1 + SA 2 | Signed | Minor-Brown | This Act creates a new Grant-in-Aid Subcommittee (“Subcommittee”) of the Joint Finance Committee and codifies requirements and procedures for organizations seeking a grant-in-aid from the General Assembly. The Subcommittee will be composed of 3 members of the Senate and 3 members of the House, with the Chair alternating between the chambers each year. The Subcommittee will annually review and analyze the applications of grant-in-aid applicants who have not previously received funding through grant-in-aid and make recommendations to the Joint Finance Committee regarding which applications to approve and at what funding level. The Subcommittee may also review any current grant-in-aid recipient for program efficacy and compliance with the conditions of prior grants and general grant-in-aid eligibility requirements.
This Act takes effect January 1 following its enactment into law. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GRANTS-IN-AID. |
| SS 1 for SB 116 w/ SA 1 + HA 1, HA 2 | Signed | Lockman | This Act allows tenants who are being evicted for failure to pay rent to remain in their homes if they pay all amounts owed prior to being evicted. It also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Drafting Manual.
This Substitute differs from the original Act by incorporating the changes from Senate Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill No. 116 which includes the following changes:
- Increased the time from 12 to 24 months for the lookback period for restricting the number of times the right of redemption is available to a tenant.
- Puts a requirement to proactively file with the court a request for a stay of the writ if payment is made after the writ of possession has been posted.
- Makes clear that payment after posting of the writ only stays the writ until the payment has cleared and dismissal is not required until such time.
This Substitute also adds the following changes based on further input from stakeholders:
- Makes it clear that this Act only applies to evictions based on failure to pay rent.
- Clarifies that any rent that is due under the terms of the lease must also be paid, in addition to any demanded past due and per diem rent, for redemption to apply.
- Adds language that the landlord may restrict any payments to methods accepted under the terms of the lease, and the landlord may further restrict any payments made after judgment is entered to certified checks or money orders.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO RIGHT OF REDEMPTION. |
| SB 219 w/ SA 1 | Signed | Buckson | Of the 41 states with a state income tax, 27 states fully exempt military retirement pay from state income taxes and 12 states partially exempt military retirement pay.
In 2022, Delaware increased the pension exclusion for military pensioners under 60 to $12,500, and in 2024, Delaware expanded the definition of a United States military pension to include a pension received for an individual’s service in the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and clarified that the armed forces of the United States includes the Space Force and Coast Guard.
This Act phases in, over 3 years, an increased exemption for military pensions from state income taxation, regardless of age, which is currently $12,500, so that in taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2029, the exemption will be $25,000 for all military pensioners. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EXCLUSION OF MILITARY PENSIONS FROM TAXABLE INCOME. |
| HS 1 for HB 301 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Morrison | House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 301, like the original, updates the existing crime of “breach of peace or violence on election day.” Under this statute, it is unlawful to take the following actions on a day of election or early in-person voting or during the reading and counting of ballots with the intent to impede or interfere with the election: (1) The use of any violence or threats of violence at or near a polling place, a Department of Elections office, a meeting of the Board of Canvass, or any other place where votes are cast, stored, read, or counted; (2) A breach of peace at or near the same places; and (3) Hindering, controlling, coercing, or intimidating or attempting to hinder, control, coerce, or intimidate any qualified elector from exercising their right to vote. A violation of the statute is a class G felony.
This substitute differs from the original HB 301 in that it makes the intent to impede or interfere with the election an element of the crime for any of the prohibited acts. It also adds “any other place where votes are cast, stored, read, or counted” to the locations where the acts are prohibited. It adds the third act of “hindering, controlling, coercing or intimidating a voter" from or in exercising their right to vote as a prohibited act. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ELECTIONS AND CRIMINAL OFFENSES. |
| HB 344 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Morrison | This Act clarifies and streamlines the disclosure and enforcement provisions of Delaware’s campaign finance laws. Among other things, this Act does the following:
(1) Requires a political committee to submit written documentation of all loans provided to the committee and requires that proceeds of a loan are deposited into the committee’s account within 3 business days.
(2) Prohibits candidates from charging interest on personal loans to a candidate committee.
(3) Requires political committees to retain records for 5 years, rather than 3 years.
(4) Requires the State Election Commissioner to provide the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust (within the DOJ) with a monthly list of alleged violations of campaign finance laws and further clarifies that the Division must investigate and prosecute violations of campaign finance laws.
(5) Expands the 1-time extension permitted for filing tardy reports from 24 hours to 48 hours after the reporting deadline.
(6) Requires the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust to submit an annual report of its activity to the Governor and the General Assembly.
(7) Authorizes the Commissioner to create regulations relating to political committee audits.
(8) Requires the Commissioner to create a mandatory biennial training program for candidates and treasurers.
(9) Prohibits political committees from engaging in campaign finance activities 30 days after the issuance of a citation if the citation has not been resolved in that time.
| AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 15 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE. |
| SB 293 w/ SA 1 + HA 1 | Signed | 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. |
| SB 306 w/ HA 1 | Signed | 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 | Signed | 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 | Signed | 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. |
| HS 1 for HB 383 | Signed | Carson | This Substitute for House Bill No. 383 specifies by position title which Department of Transportation employees must be paid overtime after working 37.5 hours in a week beginning July 1, 2026. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PAY FOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEES. |
| SB 315 w/ SA 1 + HA 1 | Signed | Brown | This act updates the Delaware Technical Innovation Program at Title 29 of the Delaware Code, Chapter 87A, Subchapter III by authorizing the Division of Small Business to provide matching funds or supplemental grant funds to eligible Delaware small businesses receiving federal SBIR or STTR awards in order to support research, development, commercialization, and economic benefit in this State. This act also authorizes the State to provide matching funds or supplemental grant funds to an eligible small business that has received a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I or Phase II award.
To qualify for funding under Title 29, § 8737A, a small business must have its principal place of business in Delaware and must certify that the funded work, related research and development, or commercialization activity will benefit the Delaware economy. The Division of Small Business shall administer the program using funds allocated or otherwise made available for such purpose and may establish application requirements, program guidelines, allowable uses of funds, award amounts, and such other criteria as are necessary to carry out § 8737A. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE TECHNICAL INNOVATION PROGRAM. |
| HJR 11 | Signed | Berry | This House Joint Resolution directs the Judiciary to establish a Working Group to explore the feasibility of establishing a Housing Opportunity and Poverty Elimination (HOPE) Court Program in partnership with State agencies and community organizations and to provide recommendations for statewide implementation.
| DIRECTING THE JUDICIARY TO ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A HOUSING OPPORTUNITY AND POVERTY ELIMINATION (HOPE) COURT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATEWIDE IMPLEMENTATION. |
| HB 419 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Griffith | This Act provides that a child is automatically eligible for Purchase of Care upon placement in foster care. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY FOR CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE. |
| SB 329 | Signed | Buckson | This Act updates Chapter 57 of Title 15 to reflect modern voting procedures. These updates are necessary because Chapter 57 of Title 15 provides the requirements under which the Superior Court (Court) performs its duties under § 6 of Article V of the Delaware Constitution to certify the results of each general election. As such, the requirements under this Chapter need to align with all of the current ballots and methods by which votes are cast to ensure that the results of general elections are properly certified and not subject to challenge.
Specifically, this Act does all of the following:
• Aligns terms and definitions with current law and the updates that will be enacted under Senate Bill No. 266 (153rd General Assembly).
• Adds early voting ballots and provisional ballots to the materials that the Department of Elections must provide to the Court.
• Explains that the Court certifies the results of the election by tabulating the votes cast.
• Consolidates the requirements for the contents of certificates of elections and the delivery of those certificates to provide clarity and repeal contradictory and unnecessary provisions.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ELECTION RESULTS. |
| HS 1 for HB 407 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Heffernan | House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 407, like the original, does all of the following: clarifies the ability of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to respond to emergent situations, expands the jurisdiction from which DNREC may file to recover costs, and makes certain changes to amounts deposited into the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act Fund. Section 1 provides definitions for “Abate,” “Emergency,” and “Removal Action.” Section 2 clarifies the ability of the Secretary or their authorized employees or agents to determine if an emergency exists and take immediate action to abate the emergency without obtaining public comment. Section 3 allows the Department to authorize removal actions to address releases without first obtaining public comment, and to incorporate the removal action into any proposed plan of remedial action by DNREC. Section 4 expands the jurisdiction of the courts which DNREC may bring enforcement actions and recover costs. Section 5 increases the civil penalty for each fraudulent act from up to $10,000 to $40,000. Section 6 extends the end date from January 1, 2029, to January 1, 2037, for monies to be deposited into the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act Fund (the “Fund.”) Section 7 provides the effective date of this legislation.
This Substitute differs from the original House Bill No. 407 in that it removes references to the realty transfer tax. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 7 AND 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES CLEANUP ACT AND THE REALTY TRANSFER TAX. |
| HS 1 for HB 427 w/ HA 1 | Signed | Spiegelman | This substitute bill allows target practicing with a BB gun, projectile weapon, or firearm by a 16 or 17 year old without direct supervision of a person age 21 or above provided the 16 or 17 year old has permission of a parent or guardian and the 16 or 17 year old has completed a hunter education course.
Additionally, a 16 or 17 year old is allowed to hunt without direct supervision if they are in possession of a valid Delaware hunting license. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OFFENSES INVOLVING DEADLY WEAPONS AND DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS. |
