Sen. Laura Sturgeon

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 20) formally recognizes January 26-February 1, 2026, as "Catholic Schools Week" in Delaware. It has no policy or funding provisions - it is a ceremonial resolution to honor Catholic schools in the state. The bill was introduced and passed by voice vote in the House on January 28, 2026. It does not affect any laws, programs, or specific groups beyond the symbolic recognition.

This Act makes changes to the New Castle County Council. This Act allows the members of the Council to elect a president from among themselves. To do so, this Act increases the number of councilmanic districts from 12 to 13 following the 2030 decennial census, effective with the general election following the redistricting, and removes provisions allowing for the election of a president from the county at-large. This Act also makes changes to the procedures for filling a vacancy on the Council by removing provisions pertaining to holding a special election in the event of a vacancy in the office of the President. This Act gives the Council authority to elect a new president following a special election to fill any vacancy from among its members, and retains the already existing authority to elect a president pro tempore in the event of a vacancy. This Act also makes technical corrections to existing law to conform to the standards of the Legislative Drafting Manual.

Subchapter 11-A of Title 7 delineates the Regional Green House Gas initiative, including where proceeds from C02 allowance auctions shall be expended. This Act fixes the overall amount of proceeds directed to purposes currently in the Delaware Code to 2025 levels and instructs DNREC that any auction proceeds above 2025 levels be directed to a rebate program to defray the cost of electricity to ratepayers. Under this Act, DNREC would provide rebate proceeds to the appropriate electric utility or distribution company for payment in the form of electric bill reductions to retail electric customers.

This bill creates the crime of child abuse by a person in a position of trust, authority, or supervision. This crime may be a class A, B, C, E, or F felony depending on the degree of injury to the victim and whether the defendant acted intentionally, recklessly, or knowingly.

This bill promotes marine equipment owner choice and competition for repair and maintenance services by requiring manufacturers of marine equipment to make available to owners and independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, the same documentation, parts, and tools used to diagnose, maintain, and repair such equipment created by the manufacturer for the purposes of repair.

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 Act sunsets the committee that reviews and makes recommendations on the equalization formula for school districts under § 1707(i) of Title 14 (§ 1707(i) committee) because the Public Education Funding Commission (PEFC), established under House Concurrent Resolution No. 2 (153rd General Assembly), is currently handling the functions under § 1707(i). The PEFC recommendations will include both how to equalize school funding and how to address equalization in the future. In addition, almost all of the members of the § 1707(i) committee are members of the PEFC but the membership of the PEFC also includes stakeholders who are not on the § 1707(i) committee. The PEFC is holding public meetings to discuss and make recommendations on the equalization formula and how to periodically review the formula.

This Act prohibits discrimination in public schools, including school districts and charter schools, based on race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protective hairstyle, body size, pregnancy or childbirth or related conditions, disability, genetic information, socioeconomic status, familial status, immigration status, or housing status. Under this Act, the Department of Education is required to update its regulations to align the protected classes therein with those in the general non-discrimination provision created by this Act. In addition to creating this non-discrimination provision [§ 136 of Title 14], this Act also does the following: 1. Aligns the protected classes in § 506, pertaining to restrictions on charter schools, with the newly created non-discrimination provision in § 136 of Title 14. 2. Amends the definition of bullying in § 4161 of Title 14 to include written, electronic, verbal, or physical acts that target a student, a school district or charter school volunteer, or a school district or charter school employee based on the target’s membership in any protected class under the newly created non-discrimination provision in § 136 of Title 14, or based on the target’s age. 3. Aligns the protected classes included in paragraph (b)(2)f. of § 4164 of Title 14 with the additional protected classes included in the newly created non-discrimination provision in § 136 of Title 14. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

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.