Maddy summaryThis resolution officially designates the week of May 6-12 as "National Nurses Week" within the State of Delaware. It serves to recognize and honor the vital contributions of nurses throughout the state.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 68 establishes the specific fees, known as pilotage rates, that will be charged by the Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware. This bill sets these rates for the years 2026, 2027, and 2028.
This Act makes changes to the operating requirements for the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council. It reduces the members required for quorum from 13 to 10. Since the quorum requirement has been reduced to less than a majority of the Council, the bill also specifies that the Council may generally take action upon the vote of a majority of members present at a meeting, but that a majority vote of the Council members is required to approve the appointment of an Executive Director. Consistent with current practice, the Executive Director has the authority to hire staff and contract for services within the limits of available funds. The Act also revises the reporting on funds spent to be part of the annual report and include state, federal, or other funding received by the Council other than State-funded positions. At the present time, the Council does not receive state funding other than allocated personnel positions. Finally, the Act allows the Council to have a virtual meeting with a physical location open to the public (anchor location) so long as a staff member of the Council is present at the anchor location. Without this authorization, a member of the Council would be required to attend at the anchor location in order to comply with the State’s open meeting rules.
This Act requires a municipality to comply with all limitations and requirements contained in Chapter 95 of Title 29 and § 120 of Title 22 whenever the municipality uses eminent domain to acquire real property. This Act prohibits a municipality from using eminent domain to acquire real property for recreational use. Additionally, a municipality shall hold a public hearing before using eminent domain to acquire real property. A municipality shall give notice of the public hearing at least 10 days prior to the date of the public hearing by doing all of the following: Publishing an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality or in the county in which the municipality is located. If the owner can be identified, by mailing written notice by certified mail to the owner of the real property the municipality plans to acquire by eminent domain. The required notice must include all of the following information: A description of the real property to be acquired. The public use for which the real property is to be acquired. The time and place for the public hearing. At the public hearing, all of the following must be explained: The public use for the real property is to be acquired. The reason for choosing the real property for the public use. The right of each owner of the real property to receive just compensation under Chapter 95 of Title 29. The right of each owner of the real property to negotiate, including the right to accept or reject the offer of damages required under Chapter 95 of Title 29. Public comment must be allowed at the public hearing and any objection raised at the public hearing must be considered. This Act also updates the condemnation procedure in Chapter 61 of Title 10 to require a municipality bringing a condemnation action to show compliance with the public hearing requirement in § 120 of Title 22 in its complaint. This Act applies to condemnation proceedings filed after the Act’s enactment into law. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. 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, whether directly, by amendment to a specific municipality’s charter, or, as in this Act, indirectly, by a general law.
Maddy summarySenate Concurrent Resolution 55 recognizes April 18, 2025, as "National Line Worker Appreciation Day" in the State of Delaware. This resolution aims to honor line workers for their essential role in providing power and maintaining infrastructure across the state.
Maddy summaryHR 11 is a resolution that designates April 19th, 2025, as a "Day of Honor." This day is specifically set aside to commemorate the semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is the percentage of electricity that utilities must source from renewables. This is presently set at 25% and will increase annually, culminating at 40% in 2035. Delaware does not currently have enough renewable energy to meet the present mandate, let alone future RPS requirements. Renewable energy is also in short supply on the regional power grid. If it is available, consumers are paying additional distribution charges to transmit it to Delaware. If renewable energy is not obtainable, Delaware utilities are paying penalties to the state for failing to achieve the RPS mandate. In each of the last two years, Delmarva Power has spent about $13 million annually in such state mandated compliance fees. All these cost multipliers are being passed along to consumers, making power more expensive for Delaware ratepayers. This bill recognizes the current flawed public energy policy that has resulted in renewable energy demand significantly outpacing supply. This legislation seeks to provide relief to Delawareans by rolling back the Renewable Portfolio Standard to 10% and maintaining the RPS requirement for the next 10 years, providing sufficient time for renewable generation capacity to meet demand. After the 10-year period expires, the RPS percentage will resume scheduled annual increases.
This Concurrent Resolution reestablishes the Port of Wilmington Expansion Task Force ("Task Force"). The Task Force was previously created by House Concurrent Resolution No. 38 in the 148th General Assembly and concluded that port expansion should be pursued by the State and the Diamond State Port Corporation. The General Assembly is reestablishing the Task Force to monitor the port expansion project, to report monthly to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives on the progress of the port expansion project, and to provide recommendations to the General Assembly that ensure the success of the planned port expansion and foster continued growth in Delaware's maritime economy.
This Joint Resolution establishes the Small Restaurant Regulatory Reform Task Force, established for the goal of reducing unnecessary burdens created by the regulations promulgated by the Department of Health and Social Services. By June 1, 2026, the commission is to identify the unnecessary burdens created by the regulations, concrete steps that can be taken to ease the burdens, and what state funding, if any, would be necessary to ease those burdens.
This Concurrent Resolution provides for a Joint Session of the Senate and the House of Representatives to be convened for the purpose of hearing an address by the Honorable Matthew S. Meyer, Governor of the State of Delaware.
