Rep. Melanie Ross Levin

This Act creates a scholarship for students who have completed a Delaware Teacher Academy and are enrolled in a Delaware Educator Preparation Program. This scholarship supplements the Educator Support Scholarship and is intended to fill a $2500 funding gap for aspiring educators who are in their first year at an Educator Preparation Program. No more than 35 scholarships may be awarded. The scholarship will be expanded based on interest and funding in subsequent school years and will continue as funding is available.

This Act removes the Director of Autism Resources ("Autism Resources"), formerly the "Statewide Director of the Delaware Autism Program," as a member of the Interagency Autism Committee ("ICA"). Autism Resources falls under the Department of Education, and changing this member to a representative of the Department lends more flexibility in selecting a member to represent the Department. This Act also removes the Delaware Family Voices member, because Delaware Family Voices now falls under the Parent Information Center, who already has representation on the ICA. In addition, under this Act the ICA or DNEA may make recommendations on the family and self-advocate ICA positions for consideration by the Governor. This Act also updates the appointing authority for ICA members that represent non-governmental entities, because the power of appointment cannot be delegated to an entity which is not a part of the state government. See State ex rel. James v. Schorr, 65 A.2d 810, 812 (Del. 1948). This Act also makes technical changes to make existing law conform with the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act directs the Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DSHS) to develop a Firearm Responsibilities Notice for distribution to gun purchasers to ensure dissemination of important information relating to safe and lawful handling of firearms. It mandates that licensed importers, manufacturers, and dealers cannot sell, transfer, or deliver a firearm to another person without requiring the buyer to review and sign a Firearm Responsibilities Notice. Licensed dealers that provide background checks to facilitate a sale between unlicensed persons are also responsible for providing a copy of the Firearm Responsibilities Notice to the prospective buyer and retaining a copy of the Firearm Responsibilities Notice signed by the prospective buyer. The purpose of the Firearm Responsibilities Notice is to deter straw purchases and other illegal transfer of firearms, to ensure awareness of Delaware’s gun safety laws, and to increase the reporting of lost or stolen firearms. The Firearm Responsibilities Notice is also intended to prevent accidental shootings by providing information on gun safety and available gun safety courses. It is also designed to reduce suicides by providing the national suicide prevention hotline number. This bill requires licensed firearm dealers to securely maintain a record of all signed Firearm Responsibilities Notices. This bill tasks the Department with creating the Firearm Responsibilities Notice, in consultation with the Department of Justice and other stakeholders, posting the Firearm Responsibilities Notice to its website, and providing (free of charge) the Firearm Responsibilities Notice to licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, and licensed dealers in the State. All licensed deadly weapons dealers in this State are mandated to keep and securely store signed Firearm Responsibilities Notices for at least 3 years as part of the records required to be kept and maintained in the place of business at all times. A violation of provisions of Title 24 relating to records or background checks for sales between unlicensed persons is already a misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $250 or $500 and 6 months imprisonment. This law will expand the scope of those misdemeanors, thus requiring a 2/3 vote. The bill is effective 180 days after enactment. The DSHS is required to conduct outreach to licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, and licensed dealers in Delaware prior to the effective date to make them aware of the new requirements imposed by this Act and provide access to the Firearm Responsibilities Notice as developed by the Department.

This Act is a substitute for Senate Bill No. 196. Like Senate Bill No. 196, this Act requires long-term care facilities to fully disclose ownership information for the facility and disclose ownership information to residents prior to the transfer of ownership of a facility. This Act differs from Senate Bill No. 196 in the following ways: 1. It changes the definition of "facility owner" to align with federal regulations. 2. It modifies the requirements for a long-term care facility to include a list of facility owners on marketing and promotional materials, instead requiring that the list of facility owners be found on the long-term care facility's website, and that any marketing or promotional materials include a statement directing recipients of the materials to the facility's website for a list of owners. 3. It amends the timeline for a long-term care facility to disclose a proposed transfer of ownership to no more than 30 calendar days after receiving approval of required modification of ownership and control paperwork from the Department. 4. It clarifies the requirements of both current and proposed new facility owners in disclosing a transfer of ownership to residents and, if applicable, authorized representatives of residents of the long-term care facility. 5. It modifies the requirement that the disclosure of disciplinary actions against the facility to be limited to those actions resulting from incidents that threatened the health, safety, or welfare of a resident. 6. It removes an explicit statement of the Department's authority to delay or deny the transfer of a license due to previous disciplinary actions. 7. It exempts nonprofit corporations from having to disclose certain information. 8. It explicitly exempts the requirements of this Act from applying to certain actions that began prior to the effective date of this Act.

This Act fosters the humane treatment of animals and prevents animal cruelty by prohibiting retail pet stores from selling dogs or cats. It further authorizes retail pet stores to collaborate with animal shelters and animal rescue organizations to offer space to showcase dogs or cats for adoption. The Office of Animal Welfare will be responsible for enforcing this Act. Retailers will receive a civil penalty of no more than $500 for each prohibited sale. This Act takes effect 6 months after its enactment into law.

This Act is a Substitute for Senate Bill No. 13. Like Senate Bill No. 13, this Substitute Act amends Title 16 and Title 6 of the Delaware Code relating to hospital charity care and financial assistance and does the following: (1) Section 1 of the Act amends § 9311 of Title 16 to exempt certain hospitals from the existing charity care requirement and require these hospitals to comply with the new financial assistance requirements under Section 2 of this Act. A hospital that provides exclusively psychiatric services, rehabilitative services, or long-term acute care services remains subject to the charity care requirement. (2) Section 2 of the Act creates a new Subchapter VII of Chapter 99 of Title 16, §§ 9961 through 9966, establishing minimum financial assistance standards for hospitals and facility-based providers. The subchapter requires full financial assistance for Delaware residents with household income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, a 75% discount above 300% and at or below 350%, and a 50% discount above 350% and at or below 400%, and requires each hospital to maintain a medical hardship policy providing a 50% minimum discount with an income ceiling of at least 500% of the federal poverty level. Eligibility determinations are valid for at least 1 year, transfer among hospitals and facility-based providers, and suspend collection activity while an application or appeal is pending. Hospitals must provide notice in languages spoken by more than 5% of the hospital's service area, screen patients for financial assistance, report annually to the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board (“Board”), and publish a financial assistance policy addressing presumptive eligibility, the application process, Medicaid coordination, and patient refunds. The Board administers the subchapter and conducts compliance reviews, the Division of Health Care Quality may take licensure action on a finding of noncompliance, and the obligations run with the hospital license. (3) Section 3 of the Act amends § 2505J of Title 6 to prohibit a medical creditor or medical debt collector from taking extraordinary collection action against a patient who qualifies, or whom the creditor has reason to know likely qualifies, for financial assistance. (4) Section 4 of the Act amends § 2508J of Title 6 to restrict collection communications, litigation, and debt referrals or sales by a medical creditor or medical debt collector that knows or should know that a patient’s financial assistance application or appeal is pending. (5) Section 5 of the Act amends § 2511J of Title 6 to make noncompliance with the new subchapter, or a patient’s eligibility for financial assistance, a complete defense in a civil action to collect medical debt, and to bar entry of a default judgment in any such action without an affidavit from a responsible officer of the hospital attesting that the patient was offered financial assistance screening. (6) Section 6 of the Act provides that the minimum financial assistance standards under § 9962(a) and (b) of Title 16 take effect on January 1, 2027, and that all other provisions take effect on the earlier of notice by the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board, published in the Register of Regulations, that final implementing regulations have been adopted, or July 1, 2027. This Substitute Act differs from Senate Bill No. 13 as follows: (1) Alphabetizes definitions in Section 2 of this Substitute Act and makes other technical corrections throughout this Substitute Act. (2) Clarifies that hospital services do not include services provided by a facility-based provider at a location that is not the hospital, an off-campus location operated under the hospital's license or Medicare provider agreement, or a freestanding emergency department affiliated with the hospital. (3) Makes clear that financial assistance is available to a patient for the patient responsibility portion. (4) Makes clear that a hospital or facility-based provider may bill a financially qualified patient’s insurance for hospital services. (5) Requires that a hospital that issues a written eligibility notice include with the notice supporting documentation provided by the patient. (6) Provides that written notice must be in print or electronic form, as determined by the patient. (7) Provides that a patient seeking financial assistance or medical hardship must apply for financial assistance. (8) Specifies that the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board must develop regulations related to the requirement that a recipient of financial assistance must be a Delaware resident. (9) Moves the Division of Health Care Quality’s power to impose civil monetary penalties for the violation of Subchapter VII of Chapter 99 of Title 16 into § 9965 of Title 16 (within Subchapter VII of Chapter 99 of Title 16) rather than adding it to § 1007 of Title 16. As a result, the amendment to § 1007 of Title 16 contained in Section 3 of Senate Bill No. 13 is removed from this Substitute Act. The Division’s power is the same power the Department of Health and Social Services has under Chapter 10 of Title 16.

This Act protects Delaware’s nonprofit acute care hospitals from acquisition by entities other than charities or not-for-profit entities during a moratorium period. It also permanently subjects the sale or encumbrance of primary facility real estate of a nonprofit acute care hospital to the Attorney General notice and review requirements of the Conversion Act. Section 1 makes two primary changes to the definitions in § 2531 of Title 29. First, it clarifies that a "not-for-profit healthcare conversion transaction" includes those undertaken "directly or indirectly through one or more affiliates." This ensures that the Attorney General’s oversight cannot be circumvented by structuring transactions through shell entities or intermediaries. It provides a new, permanent category of conversion transaction: the sale, transfer, conveyance or lease of a hospital's "primary facility real estate" to a for-profit entity. This change ensures that arrangements involving the land and buildings of an acute care hospital are subject to the same notice and review requirements as a change in corporate control. Finally, Section 1 defines for "acute care hospital" and "primary facility real estate.” Section 2 requires the Attorney General to transmit copies of any Conversion Act notice involving an acute care hospital to the Governor and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services within 10 days of receipt. Section 3 prohibits any person or entity, other than a charity or not-for-profit entity, from entering into a "change of control transaction" involving acquisition of a nonprofit acute care hospital. It defines a "change of control transaction" as the acquisition of the power to direct the hospital's management, policies, or clinical practices, whether through ownership of voting securities, changes in board composition, or by contract. Any transaction of this nature is void and has no legal effect. The prohibition expressly captures incremental acquisition scenarios, including minority stakes, sub-majority governance rights, board appointment rights, and executive officer appointment rights. Section 4 amends § 9304 of Title 16 to prohibit any entity or person other than a charity or not-for-profit entity from submitting, and the Health Resources Board from accepting or processing, an application for a Certificate of Public Review for the construction, development, establishment, or acquisition of an acute care hospital. Any such application is void and of no legal effect. Section 5 provides that Sections 2 through 4 are effective until July 1, 2028, unless terminated sooner or extended by the General Assembly.

This Act provides supplementary appropriations to certain Grants-in-Aid recipients for Fiscal Year 2027. Section 1 – Government Units and Senior Centers $40,534,269 Section 2 – One-Times and Community Agencies $42,346,157 Section 3 – Fire Companies and Public Service Ambulance Companies $15,541,500 Section 4 – Veterans Organizations $985,125 GRAND TOTAL $99,407,051

This Act is a Substitute for House Bill No. 450. Like House Bill No. 450, this Substitute Act is to be known as the Reforming Opportunities and Accelerated Development for Delaware Act (“ROAD-DE Act”) and will make significant changes to Delaware’s land use permitting process by building on Governor Meyer’s Executive Order No. 18, which created the Permitting Accelerator to reform policies, processes, and procedures that have accumulated over decades and are holding back jobs, housing, and other critical infrastructure statewide. In 2019, a study of Delaware’s permitting process was undertaken. The study concluded that Delaware’s permitting process was significantly longer and more challenging than those of surrounding states in the region. In 2025, this State began digitizing permitting processes. During the initial stages of that effort, more than 52 hours of interviews with 57 stakeholders were conducted across state agencies, local governments, developers, and technical experts. Those interviews revealed that statewide delays are not driven by isolated performance issues. Rather, they stem from structural misalignment, sequential review processes, incentive distortions, and capacity constraints that compound across agencies. Delaware’s permitting process can stretch beyond 24 months, placing this State at a distinct economic development disadvantage when it comes to attracting and growing businesses. In the region, Delaware’s competitors, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, can achieve substantially faster permit approvals, making them more attractive locations for economic development and affordable housing. The 2019 and 2025 studies resulted in recommendations that the permitting process be streamlined and modified to improve accountability and eliminate redundancies within various government agencies, particularly within the Delaware Department of Transportation (“DelDOT”). To implement these recommendations, this Substitute Act, like House Bill No. 450, does all of the following: (1) Section 1 of this Substitute Act requires DelDOT to base the threshold for determining if a traffic impact study is required on peak-hour trips, not vehicle trips per day, and set the minimum peak hour trips threshold at 500 peak-hour trips for residential developments and 500 peak-hour trips, excluding pass-by trips, for all other development types. (2) Sections 2, 4, 6, and 8 of this Substitute Act require the counties and municipalities to base their threshold for determining if a traffic impact study is required on the same requirements as required for DelDOT in Section 1 of this Act. (3) Sections 3, 5, 7, and 8 of this Substitute Act provide for certain residential density requirements. (4) Section 9 of this Substitute Act requires DelDOT to deploy, operate, and maintain technological systems for the automated monitoring, analysis, and management of transportation infrastructure and traffic operations. (5) Section 10 of this Substitute Act provides that engineering studies or traffic investigations conducted by DelDOT may include automated or continuous data collection systems, remote sensing technologies, digital imaging, algorithmic analysis of traffic patterns, and other technological methods used to evaluate roadway safety, traffic operations, and infrastructure conditions. (6) Section 11 of this Substitute Act requires DelDOT to establish and collect transportation impact fees throughout this State and to use the moneys collected to fund off-site improvements to bring existing transportation infrastructure up to current State standards. Additionally, this Section requires DelDOT to use the moneys collected in the county in which the transportation impact fee was collected unless the county or the municipalities within the county fail to adopt the traffic impact study and residential density requirements under Sections 2 through 8 of this Act. This Substitute Act differs from House Bill No. 450 as follows: (1) Changes the residential density requirements provision contained in Sections 3, 5, 7, and 8 of this Substitute Act for the original Act. (2) Requires DelDOT to consult with the applicable municipal government on how to spend the money collected from the transportation impact fee. (3) Increases the amount of the surcharge DelDOT must assess on the transportation impact fee from 1% to 2%. (4) Adds the Brownfield Development Program as 1 of the programs to receive money from the surcharge assessed on the transportation impact fee by DelDOT. This Substitute 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, whether directly, by amendment to a specific municipality’s charter, or, as in this Act, indirectly, by a general law. This Substitute Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the official financial projections for the state's General Fund for Fiscal Year 2027. It sets specific estimates for expected revenue, refunds, and available unencumbered funds to guide future budget planning. The legislation applies to the state government by defining the financial baseline for the upcoming fiscal year. After passing both legislative chambers, the bill was signed into law by the Governor.