Rep. Bryan Shupe

This Act provides that commissioned constables have the authority to direct traffic, if they are doing so while in the performance of the lawful duties of employment. In addition to explicitly granting constables this power under § 5609 of Title 24, the Act adds constables to the list in § 4103 of Title 21 of persons invested by law with the authority to direct, control, or regulate vehicle and pedestrian traffic. These changes will enable constables to provide additional public safety support to employers such as schools, which may benefit from assistance with directing traffic during busy times of day such as pickup and drop off. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This bill repeals the Delaware Advanced Clean Air Program and adopts the Delaware Low Emissions Program thereby terminating the Electric Vehicle Mandate.

This Act creates a right to free legal counsel for a relative seeking to adopt a child in the relative’s family after parental rights over the child have been terminated and the child is in the custody of the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. Relatives of a child for whom adoption is being sought who are eligible for free legal counsel in adoption proceedings include siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, first cousins, first cousins once removed, great-grandparents, grandaunts or granduncles, half-siblings, stepparents, stepsiblings, stepaunts or stepuncles, or stepgrandparents. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Maddy summarySCR 43 is a ceremonial concurrent resolution recognizing Christian Holy Week and Passover as significant observances within Delaware. It does not create new laws or policies, nor does it directly affect any specific groups or individuals. The resolution formally acknowledges these religious events at the state level, aligning with Delaware's tradition of honoring diverse cultural and religious milestones. This is purely a symbolic gesture with no regulatory or financial impact.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases Delaware's personal income tax exclusion for pension income from $12,500 to $25,000 annually. It directly affects Delaware residents who receive pension income, allowing them to exclude more of that income when calculating their state taxable income. The key provision doubles the amount of pension earnings that are exempt from state taxation. This change reduces the state tax burden for qualifying pensioners without altering other tax rates or brackets.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution designates the Month of March 2025 as “March for the Arts” in Delaware to recognize the critical role that the arts play in providing a well-rounded education for Delaware’s youth and Delaware’s economy.

Like House Bill 46, this Act ensures that no physician or medically authorized person shall perform an abortion upon a child under the age of 16 without having obtained parental consent, except in cases of medical emergency or if the Family Court adjudicates that the minor is mature and well-informed enough to make the decision independently, or obtaining parental consent is not in the best interest of the minor, such as in cases of abuse, neglect, or coercion. This Act differs from House Bill 46 by removing additional references to the former notice requirement in Chapter 17, Subchapter VIII, of Title 24, and by clarifying that a legal guardian may grant the consent required by this Act.

This Act requires that an enacted state agency regulation will automatically expire unless explicitly reauthorized by the General Assembly to continue. This Act creates the Joint Committee on Oversight of Agency Regulations (“Committee”) to engage in review and oversight of regulations adopted by State agencies and recommend to the General Assembly whether or not the regulations should be allowed to expire. Like laws in states such as Colorado and Utah, this Act does all of the following: (1) Requires that all regulations adopted by an agency during the 12-month period preceding each October 31 expire at 5:00 p.m. on the following June 30 unless the General Assembly enacts a law to remove the expiration of the regulation. (2) Establishes criteria for the Committee’s review of State agency regulations. (3) Establishes a process for the Committee’s review and oversight of State agency regulations, including the requirement of a staff report, public hearings, and Committee recommendations to the General Assembly. (4) If the Committee recommends a regulation not be allowed to expire, requires the Committee to draft and introduce a bill that removes the expiration of each regulation the Committee recommends not be allowed to expire. (5) The Committee Chair, Vice Chair, and members receive the same additional compensation as the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution encourages Governor Matt Meyer to light key Delaware landmarks purple in April to honor the over 7,000 military-connected children in the state. This gesture recognizes their sacrifices and shows support for the challenges they face, including time apart from deployed parents.

This resolution designates the week of March 10 through March 14, 2025, as “Civic Learning Week” in the State of Delaware to encourage schools and civic organizations to hold educational programs regarding civic duty and urge Delawareans to reflect upon the importance of their civic duty and responsibilities.