Sen. Laura Sturgeon

Maddy summaryHCR 22 is a symbolic resolution recognizing March 31 as International Transgender Day of Visibility in Delaware. It encourages Delaware residents to observe the day through ceremonies and activities that celebrate transgender community achievements and leadership. The resolution does not create new laws, funding, or obligations - it serves as a formal acknowledgment of transgender contributions and the ongoing need for visibility and inclusion. This recognition aligns with the national observance established in 2009 to honor transgender individuals and address discrimination they face.

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 bill removes certain limitations placed on Sussex County Vocational Technical High School, thereby allowing the school district the same rights and privileges as Polytech (Kent County) and New Castle Vo-Tech.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 30) formally designates April 2025 as "Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month" in Delaware. It directly recognizes the Sikh American community in Delaware, highlighting their historical presence since the 1970s, cultural contributions (including Vaisakhi and Guru Nanak's birthday in April), community service, and challenges like discrimination. The resolution serves as a symbolic gesture to acknowledge their role in Delaware's diversity and societal contributions, without creating new laws or funding. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect beyond raising public awareness.

This House Concurrent Resolution designates the 21st day of the Month of March 2025 as “Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day” and celebrates the beauty and contributions that people with Down syndrome make in Delaware.

Maddy summarySCR 29 is a symbolic resolution recognizing March 18, 2025, as "National Public Defense Day" in Delaware. It commemorates the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in *Gideon v. Wainwright*, which established the right to counsel for indigent defendants. The resolution honors Delaware's Office of Defense Services, which provides legal representation to people who cannot afford attorneys and handles over 20,000 cases annually. As a procedural resolution, it does not create new laws or change policies - it solely serves to acknowledge the importance of public defense.

The State of Delaware previously offered an employer match for state employee contributions to the deferred compensation program. The purpose of the match was to help state employees save and build wealth for retirement and to enable state government to recruit and retain talent by offering a valuable retirement savings benefit. In July 2008, during the Great Recession, the State suspended the employer match to cut costs. Every year since fiscal year 2008, the General Assembly has written in the annual appropriations bill: “It is the intent of the General Assembly that this program be reinstated when funding becomes available.” This Act updates the laws governing the employer match in anticipation of the General Assembly restoring the match this session and increases the maximum match to $20 per pay period. This Act also eases restrictions on which participants are eligible for the match. To help employees who are unable to save for retirement because of their student loan burden, this Act enables a match for employee’s student loan payments with employer contributions to their deferred compensation account. Congress enabled employers to make this type of matching contribution with the passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act, which was included in the Federal Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. This Act provides the Plans Management Board with the discretion to determine which plan the matching contributions should be deposited into.

This Act updates the DOE’s standards for selecting and and implementing statewide reading screeners and literacy intervention approaches. In summary, this Act does the following: 1. Clarifies factors that the Department must consider when selecting literacy intervention approaches that may be used by schools. 2. Authorizes school districts and charter schools to submit an alternative reading screener to the Department for approval. 3. Requires the Department to annually identify schools with a significant level of students below proficient on the State’s third grade reading assessment for 2 consecutive years. 4. Requires the Department to provide additional supports to schools identified as below proficient.

Maddy summarySCR 26 is a ceremonial resolution recognizing March 16-22, 2025, as "National Agriculture Week" in Delaware. It honors Delaware’s agricultural sector through symbolic recognition, highlighting the industry’s economic and cultural significance without creating new laws or policies. The resolution cites Delaware’s farm production (e.g., 601 million chickens raised in 2023) and farmland preservation efforts as context for the designation. This is purely a symbolic gesture with no direct policy impact or funding changes.