Delaware Bills

in committee · Delaware · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 315: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CREDIT CARD FEES.

This Act prohibits payment card networks from establishing or charging transaction fees on tips on credit card transactions. Violations are punishable by a penalty of $1,000 per electronic transaction and the wrongful fees must be refunded.

Ed Osienski (D) Frank Cooke (D) Tim Dukes (R) Mara Gorman (D) Dave Sokola (D)

passed both · Delaware · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SCR 132: RECOGNIZING THE EASTERSEALS/CAI VOLLEYBALL CHALLENGE AND THE VOLLEYBALL AMBASSADOR, ELLICE BILOON IN THE 21ST YEAR OF DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN TEAM PARTICIPATION.

This resolution recognizes the Easterseals/CAI Volleyball Challenge which occurred on March 7 at the University of Delaware Carpenter Sports Building, an event that raises funds for an organization providing services and support to Delawareans with disabilities and senior citizens and their families. This resolution also recognizes Ellice Biloon, the 2026 Volleyball Ambassador.

passed both · Delaware · House Mar 10, 2026

HCR 99: DESIGNATING MARCH 2026 AS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH IN DELAWARE AND HONORING THE LEADERSHIP AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY.

This bill designates March 2026 as Women's History Month in Delaware to honor the leadership and achievements of women throughout history. It is a ceremonial resolution that does not create new laws or change existing policies but serves to recognize women's contributions. The measure was passed by both the House and Senate with a voice vote in the House and a 21-0 vote in the Senate.

passed both · Delaware · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SCR 137: RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR 2026.

SCR 137 is a ceremonial Senate resolution recognizing and celebrating the Lunar New Year 2026, honoring the cultural significance of the holiday. It does not create new laws, alter policies, or affect any specific groups or individuals. The resolution serves purely to acknowledge the holiday's importance through official recognition. It was introduced and passed by the Senate on January 29, 2026.

introduced · Delaware · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 252: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES AND COUNTERFEIT CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

This Substitute for House Bill No. 252, like House Bill No. 252, makes a technical correction and decriminalizes the use or consumption of a personal use quantity of a controlled substance or counterfeit controlled substance in an area accessible to the public, instead making it a civil violation with a fine of up to $50 for a first offense and up to $100 for subsequent offenses. This Substitute differs from House Bill No. 252 in that it does not decriminalize the use of or consumption of a personal use quantity by individuals in moving vehicles. This Substitute does not change the penalty (up to a $200 fine, up to 5 days imprisonment, or both) for a person operating a moving vehicle while using a personal use quantity, but changes the penalty for passengers to a $100 fine with no possibility of prison time.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Delaware · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 229: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SUMMARY POSSESSION.

This Act increases the notice period during which notice of a hearing and complaint must be served in an action for summary possession from between 5 and 30 days to between 5 and 90 days prior to the time at which the complaint is to be heard.

Topics ✓ Housing

passed both · Delaware · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SCR 121: RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING THE AIR MOBILITY COMMAND MUSEUM FOUNDATION WITH THE MAJOR EXPANSION OF THE AIR MOBILITY COMMAND MUSEUM.

This resolution recognizes the Air Mobility Command Museum Foundation’s efforts to expand the Museum’s facilities through a major project that will add new exhibit space, educational and conference facilities, and community spaces. The expansion will enhance the Museum’s ability to preserve aviation history, provide interactive educational experiences, and support community engagement, while also delivering a significant economic benefit to the region. The resolution acknowledges the importance of public and private support to the success of this project.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 252: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE OFFER OF AN ULTRASOUND AND AUSCULTATION SERVICES BEFORE TERMINATING A PREGNANCY.

This Act requires a health-care practitioner to offer a patient ultrasound imaging and auscultation of fetal heart tone services before terminating a human pregnancy. The patient is free to choose not to view the ultrasound or listen to the auscultation of fetal heart tone. This Act is known as "The Woman's Right to Know Act.”

Topics ✗ Healthcare

in committee · Delaware · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 174: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE VICTIMS COMPENSATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Like House Bill No. 174, this substitute enables family members of individuals who have died by suicide to receive support services through the present Victims Compensation Assistance Program through a Suicide Victims’ Assistance Fund. This Act takes effect on July 1 following its enactment into law and the appropriation of funds into the Suicide Victims’ Assistance Fund. This substitute differs from the original bill by removing language providing funding for the bill through surcharges on business, residential, wireless, and prepaid wireless services. Instead, this substitute calls for the Suicide Victims’ Assistance Fund to be funded through annual appropriations by the General Assembly. This substitute also imposes a cap on annual expenditures from the fund and requires proportional reductions to claim payments for the remainder of the year if expenditures are expected to exceed the cap or once 75% of appropriated funds have been disbursed. This Act also calls for the General Assembly to review the expenditure cap and adjust it as appropriate every two years, beginning in Fiscal Year 2028.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Delaware · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 242: AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 78, VOLUME 85 OF THE LAWS OF DELAWARE ENTITLED “AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY RATES.”

Senate Bill No. 59 (Chapter 78, Volume 85 of the Laws of Delaware) was passed by the General Assembly on June 26, 2025, and signed by the Governor on July 16, 2025. Senate Bill No. 59 changed the standard applied by the Public Service Commission ("Commission") when deciding public utility rate cases. The standard applied before the enactment of Senate Bill No. 59 was the “business judgment rule” standard. Senate Bill No. 59 changed the standard applied by the Commission to the “prudence” standard. Forty-eight states in the United States apply the “prudence” standard when setting public utility rates, not the "business judgement rule" standard that has been applied in Delaware. Although Section 3 of Senate Bill No. 59 stated that the Act takes effect on January 1, 2026, following its enactment into law, it was the intent of the General Assembly that the Commission must apply the “prudence" standard retroactively in rate case decisions, where the public utility filed the rate case proceeding with the Commission during the period from the date of enactment of the legislation on July 16, 2025, through December 31, 2025. The “prudence” standard does not apply to any rate case proceeding filed by a public utility with the Commission before July 16, 2025.

in committee · Delaware · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 197: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS FOR SCHOOL PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTS.

This Act requires that a contract relating to a public works project executed after December 31, 2026, must include a project labor agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council if the project is for a school district or charter school, 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.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed both · Delaware · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 228: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 9 AND 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO COUNTY ASSESSMENTS AND TAX COLLECTION.

This Act is a substitute bill for Senate Bill No. 228. It combines Senate Bill No. 228 and Senate Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill No. 228. This Act differs from Senate Bill No. 228 by intending to maximize the amount of time New Castle County will have in 2026 to conduct a quality control review of non-residential property assessments and make any adjustments to assessed values while also ensuring sufficient time for the preparation of county and school tax bills in New Castle County with a December 31, 2026 payment deadline: 1. Adjusts the date by which New Castle County must complete its Quality Control review and make any adjustments to assessed values to September 30, 2026. 2. Adjusts the tax "due and payable" date, which is an existing statutory term that is different from a payment deadline, to October 12, 2026. 3. Adjusts the date by which New Castle County must mail out tax statements to November 16, 2026. 4. Adjusts the deadline for payment of tax bills to December 31, 2026. 5. Confirms that penalties for unpaid amounts do not begin until January 1, 2027. This Act also differs from Senate Bill No. 228 by changing the date by which a school board in New Castle County must deliver its warrant to New Castle County to October 22, 2026, and clarifying the State shall advance monies to any school district that experiences a shortfall as a result of the changes in this Act. Like Senate Bill No. 228, this Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill No. 228 is designed to promote fairness in property assessments and property taxation in New Castle County. The Act provides New Castle County the authority to conduct a quality control review of a tax parcel’s new assessed value after a general reassessment when any of the following conditions exist: 1. A clerical, mathematical, or factual mistake occurred during the new general reassessment. 2. A non-residential tax parcel whose assessed value from the general reassessment is at least $300,000 but decreased from its previous assessed value. 3. A non-residential tax parcel’s assessed value from the new general reassessment is at least $300,000 and the percentage change in its newly assessed value from its assessed value prior to the new general reassessment is no greater than 50% of the median increase of non-residential properties in that county from the new general reassessment. 4. A non-residential tax parcel’s assessed value from the new general reassessment is at least 25% less than the actual sale price from the parcel’s most recent sale within the 5 years preceding the new general reassessment, whenever the actual sale price is determinable by public records. The quality control review grants the Office of Finance the power to make revisions and corrections to a tax parcel while adhering to the standards of §§ 8306(a), 8312, and 8321 of Title 9. The Act sets deadlines for the Office of Finance to make adjustments to assessed values and to finalize and mail tax statements. This Act also amends Title 14 to provide a deadline for school boards in New Castle County to deliver their warrants and directs the State to advance funding if a school district experiences a shortfall of funding as a result of the changes in this Act. This Act expires on March 31, 2027, unless otherwise provided by a subsequent act of the General Assembly.

Bill results