Sen. Nicole Poore

Maddy summaryHCR 83 designates January 23, 2026, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day" in Delaware through a symbolic resolution. This resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally recognizes the day to highlight maternal health issues. It directly affects Delaware residents by encouraging community awareness and education efforts on maternal health during this designated observance. The resolution passed both the House (34-7) and Senate (20-1) in January 2026.

This House Concurrent Resolution recognizes the significant contributions of nurses as frontline healthcare workers, recognizes the importance of basic protections and rights for this profession, and resolves that the rights of nurses are upheld and promoted throughout the state.

This Act mandates that all schools receiving approval or financial assistance from the State provide parenting and pregnant students with the following protections: 1. Excused absences for pregnancy related events. 2. Excused absences for health-related needs or illnesses associated with pregnancy. 3. Six weeks of excused absences for students giving birth to a child, immediately following delivery. 4. Excused absences for medical appointments for a student’s child. 5. Excused absences for court appearances related to the student’s child or the pregnant student. This Act further provides for accommodations to a pregnant or parenting student by allowing for the following: 1. For a lactating student, the student must have access to a private, clean, and secure room to express milk and any other associated equipment needed for lactation. 2. Access to equipment or transportation services. 3. Modifications to a student’s schedule or coursework. 4. Reasonable academic supports. 5. Accommodations to assist parenting students. Any accommodations need not be accepted by the student, if they do not wish to receive the accommodation. A student who receives any accommodations may not be academically penalized for it. Furthermore, at the conclusion of a pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting event, the school must allow the student to make up the work and allow the student the same opportunity to do so, as any other student would receive due to an illness. The Act prohibits a school from requiring a student to provide medical documentation for an absence or accommodation, unless explicitly provided for by this Act. This Act will be implemented on July 1, 2026.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution honors and recognizes the leadership, achievements, and sacrifices of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and urges all citizens of the First State to participate fittingly in the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 19, 2026.

This resolution affirms that members of the General Assembly are committed to civility in public discourse and that they will lead by example to actively cultivate a political culture in Delaware where collaboration, respect, and productive discourse can thrive.

Maddy summarySCR 125 is a ceremonial resolution designating January 9, 2026, as "Law Enforcement Appreciation Day" in Delaware. It formally recognizes and honors law enforcement officers across the state through a designated day of acknowledgment. This resolution does not create new laws or alter policies; it solely serves to express state-level appreciation. The measure passed unanimously in both legislative chambers on January 13, 2026.

Like House Bill No. 2, House Substitute No. 1 for HB 2 makes technical corrections to § 5546 of Title 29 and increases from $7,000 to $8,000, both of the following: • The amount of the burial benefit under the State Employees’ Pension Plan. • The amount paid for funeral expenses for a member of a volunteer fire company, volunteer fire company ladies auxiliary, or a volunteer ambulance and rescue company. HS 1 for HB 2 differs from HB 2 because it changes the effective date to October 1, 2026, and because the enactment of Senate Bill No. 28 (85 Del. Laws, c. 215) on September 9, 2025, included all of the following: • The technical revisions to § 6750 of Title 18 that were also included in Section 2 of HB 2. • The transfer of § 6750 of Title 18 to § 6701A of Title 18, which was also included in House Amendment No. 1 to HB 2. • The enactment of § 6701A of Title 18, which was also included in HA 1 to HB 2.

This Act provides for forfeiture of the state’s contribution to a state, judicial, county, or municipal employee’s pension if that employee is convicted of a sexual offense against a child and the offense was in connection with or aided by the employee’s position. It further provides that if a state, judicial, county, or municipal employee is convicted of a sexual offense against a child and the Court finds the offense was committed in connection with or aided by the employee's position, the Court may assign portions of the employee’s pension to the victim of the crime for restitution.

This Act decouples select provisions of Delaware’s tax code from provisions of Public Law 119-21, also known as the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). Absent legislative action, most provisions of federal tax law are automatically incorporated into Delaware’s tax law. This Act does not eliminate depreciation of property or expensing, but instead modifies the timing of deductions that were impacted by the OBBBA. For corporations taxed as separate entities, commonly called “C corporations,” this Act does the following: (1) Continues expensing provisions for domestic research and experimental expenditures made after December 31, 2021, but on or before December 31, 2025, under the provisions in place before the OBBBA. (2) Decouples from the OBBBA provision for full expensing of certain business property acquired and placed in service after January 19, 2025. (3) Decouples from the special depreciation allowance for qualified production property. For individuals with business income such as an S corporation or a partnership, the following changes are made to Delaware’s personal income tax code, beginning January 1, 2026: (1) Decoupling from the OBBBA allowance for full expensing for certain business property acquired and placed in service after December 31, 2025. (2) Decoupling from the special depreciation allowance for qualified production property acquired and placed in service after December 31, 2025.

A placard must be prominently displayed at any entrance of a massage and bodywork establishment that has failed to obtain a valid license or has a license that is suspended, revoked, or expired. This Act provides that no placard can be removed unless the removal of the placard is approved by the Division of Professional Regulation. This Act makes the unlawful removal of the placard a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and up to a $2300 fine. Technical corrections are also made to existing statutory language to conform with the requirements of the Legislative Drafting Manual.