Sen. Ray Seigfried

This Act creates a new Grant-in-Aid Subcommittee (“Subcommittee”) of the Joint Finance Committee and codifies requirements and procedures for organizations seeking a grant-in-aid from the General Assembly. The Subcommittee will be composed of 3 members of the Senate and 3 members of the House, with the Chair alternating between the chambers each year. The Subcommittee will annually review and analyze the applications of grant-in-aid applicants who have not previously received funding through grant-in-aid and make recommendations to the Joint Finance Committee regarding which applications to approve and at what funding level. The Subcommittee may also review any current grant-in-aid recipient for program efficacy and compliance with the conditions of prior grants and general grant-in-aid eligibility requirements. This Act takes effect January 1 following its enactment into law.

This Act amends Chapter 1 of Title 15 and adds a Part VII and Chapter 81 to Title 15 of the Delaware Code to establish a “Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act,” (“the Act”). Section 1 of the Act amends Chapter 1 of Title 15 to provide definitions necessary for implementation of the Act. Chapter 1 is also amended to ensure that the purpose of Title 15 includes a stated public policy of equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Section 2 adds a “democracy canon” which instructs those charged with interpreting statutes, rules and regulations and local laws or ordinances related to the elective franchise to construe the election laws in favor of protecting and making accessible the right to vote. Section 3 of the Act adds a Part VII and Chapter 81 to Title 15 of the Delaware code to establish a “Delaware Voting Rights Act,” (“the Act”). Subchapter I of Part VII lists the mechanisms to challenge voting discrimination, specifying that election policy and practices approved by the General Assembly can be invalidated if they violate the Delaware Constitution, and stating that election laws or practices of a political subdivision or of officials with authority over elections acting within their discretionary authority may be invalidated if they cause prohibited voter suppression or dilution. Prohibited voter suppression prevents election policies or practices that result in, are likely to result in, or are motivated in whole or in part by the intent to result in: 1) a material disparity in voter participation, access to voting opportunities, or the opportunity or ability to participate in any stage of the political process between protected class members and other members of the electorate; or 2) based on the totality of the circumstances, an impairment of the equal opportunity or ability of protected class members to participate in any stage of the political process. A violation must be attributable to an action of the Department of Elections or a political subdivision. Voter suppression is not present where (i) the election policy or practice is necessary to significantly further an important and particularized governmental interest; and (ii) there is no alternative election policy or practice that results in a smaller disparity between protected class members and other members of the electorate. Voter suppression claims do not require evidence of intentional discrimination. Prohibited vote dilution prevents methods of election that have the effect, will likely have the effect, or are motivated in part by the intent of diluting the vote of protected class members. A violation is established when elections in the political subdivision exhibit racially polarized voting resulting in an impairment of the equal opportunity or ability of protected class members to nominate or elect candidates of their choice; or based on the totality of the circumstances, the equal opportunity, or ability of protected class members to nominate or elect candidates of their choice is impaired. To establish the violation, it must be shown that another method of election or changes to the existing method of election could constitutionally be adopted or ordered and would likely mitigate the impairment. Subchapter I also includes guidelines regarding voter suppression and voter dilution determinations under the Act. It outlines that legal standing will be conferred broadly under the Act, and individuals, organizations, or the Attorney General can bring actions to enforce the prohibitions in a court of competent jurisdiction. Plaintiffs are required in most circumstances to give defendants pre-suit notice under the Act, and defendants may prevent litigation by working with the potential plaintiff to implement a remedy to the alleged violation. Subchapter I also establishes a standard for evaluating a claim where a party seeks preliminary relief. The Subchapter also includes remedies that a court of competent jurisdictionis authorized to provide upon a finding of illegal voter suppression or dilution and allows attorneys’ fees for prevailing plaintiff parties in judicial actions and recovery of costs for those who submit a pre-suit notice letter when jurisdictions voluntarily enact changes after receiving said notice letter up to a $ 60,000 cap, adjusted for inflation. When an entity plans to voluntarily adopt a new election policy or practice after the filing of a lawsuit, the entity shall hold at least one public hearing at which members of the public may provide input regarding such draft or proposal. After the adoption of any remedy, the entity must hold at least one public education event during which they explain all changes to elections resulting from the remedy. Subchapter II of the Act requires the Department of Elections (“DOE”) to designate 1 or more languages, other than English, for which assistance will be available in elections for local offices if DOE finds that a significant and substantial need exists for such assistance. A finding of significant and substantial need is mandated when more than 2%, but in no instances fewer than 100, of the citizens of voting age of such jurisdiction speak a particular shared language other than English and are limited English proficient individuals or more than 1,000 of the citizens of voting age of such jurisdiction speak a particular shared language other than English and are limited English proficient individuals. DOE shall distribute to affected jurisdictions and publish annually on its website a list of each local office in which language assistance shall be provided and the languages that assistance will be provided in. The Subchapter requires affected local offices to provide this assistance and outlines the materials that are subject to language assistance. The Subchapter also requires DOE to establish a process, which shall include public comment, whereby electors and impacted organizations may petition DOE to decide that there is significant and substantial need for language assistance in a local office that DOE has not previously determined to have such significant and substantial need. The Subchapter also makes clear that limited English proficient individuals may receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice when voting equivalent to the allowance given to voters with blindness, disability, or illiteracy. The Subchapter also indicates that individuals, organizations, or the Attorney General may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the Subchapter, and that attorneys’ fees shall be made available to prevailing plaintiff parties. Subchapter III of the Act prevents intimidation, deception, or obstruction of the right to vote. Under the Subchapter, a person, whether acting under color of state law or otherwise, shall not engage in acts of intimidation, deception or obstruction that interfere with any elector’s right to vote and provides guidance regarding activity that would be considered intimidation, deception, or obstruction of the right to vote. Individuals, organizations, or the Attorney General may bring an action to enforce the prohibitions in a court of competent jurisdiction, and upon finding a violation, the court shall implement appropriate remedies that are tailored to remedy the violation. Damages available to a prevailing plaintiff party upon a finding of a violation include nominal damages for any violation and compensatory or punitive damages for any intentional violation. Attorney’s fees shall also be available for prevailing plaintiff parties. Section 4 of the bill declares that the Act is severable.

This resolution directs the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services, to study the creation of a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program that would place aspiring healthcare professionals in paid clinical positions in healthcare facilities while they complete the training and schooling necessary to become credentialed healthcare professionals. The resolution requires that the study consider how any recommended program may be funded through Delaware’s federal Rural Health Transformation Program award and implemented through or in coordination with the competitive awards made by the Department of Health and Social Services under that program, so that the program complements, rather than duplicates, the State’s ongoing healthcare workforce initiatives. This resolution also directs the Department of Labor to consult with stakeholders to make recommendations for degreed apprenticeship programs beyond healthcare and requires the Department to submit a report of its findings to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Division of Legislative Services by May 1, 2027.

This Act clarifies that individual, group, and blanket health insurance carriers must provide for and pay for services (including immunizations) that were recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the comprehensive guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that were in effect as of January 1, 2025. They must also cover immunizations that were supported by national clinical guidelines or national standards of care in effect on January 1, 2025. To that end, this Act removes provisions that permit carriers to deny coverage for these items or services simply because they are not currently recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC and the comprehensive guidelines supported by the HRSA. This Act also removes obsolete United States Preventative Task Force provisions related to breast cancer screening from 2009.

This Act modernizes Delaware’s pharmacy practice laws by authorizing pharmacists to practice to the full extent of their education and training. Pharmacists have the expertise necessary to provide patient care beyond what current Delaware law allows, and enabling them to do so is an important step toward expanding access to health care in this State. Under this Act, pharmacists are permitted to independently evaluate patients, identify health conditions, order and prescribe laboratory tests, and prescribe drugs or devices without reliance on statewide protocols, formularies, or specified lists of conditions. Pharmacists may not prescribe controlled substances, with the exception of medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, which pharmacists may only prescribe under a standing order from the Division of Public Health. In order to enable pharmacists to prescribe medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder under a standing order, this Act also amends the Uniform Controlled Susbstances Act in Chapter 47 of Title 16 to include “pharmacist” in the definition of “practitioner.” To ensure continuity of care, this Act also establishes requirements for documentation of treatment and communication with primary care providers. This Act takes effect immediately, but implementation is delayed by up to 1 year to give the Board of Pharmacy time to implement necessary regulations. This Act does not affect current law regarding the use of statewide protocols, standing orders, or collaborative practice agreements. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Joint Resolution directs the Department of Health & Social Services to explore and consider additional solutions for tackling the State's high cost of health care and to submit a report to the General Assembly by January 1, 2027, that explores the feasibility of additional strategies to lower health care costs. The report will explore updating the current Medicaid outlier methodology, ways to ensure further cost savings for 2027, and the feasibility of a statewide adoption of a global budget or 2-sided risk models, and will evaluate options for a public option or other publicly sponsored coverage strategy.

This Joint Resolution designates August 31, 2026 as "International Overdose Awareness Day" in Delaware and requires the state flag to be flown at half-staff in observance and to honor those whose lives were taken too soon.

This Act adds authority and guidelines for access to and use of intranasal epinephrine nasal sprays at institutions of higher education to the existing framework for access to and use of epinephrine injectors. This Act also removes the requirement of the Department of Public Health from filing an annual report regarding the use of epinephrine autoinjectors for the prior academic year with the General Assembly under this section.

Although the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association is a unit of the Department of Education, officials are currently allowed to serve without completing background checks before serving. This Act provides that in the event an official for the DIAA is not an individual required to undergo a background check under the law that requires employees, contractors, and volunteers of the Department of Education to meet certain background check requirements, the DIAA must promulgate regulations requiring background checks of officials that meet the same requirements as those for employees, contractors, and volunteers of the Department. This Act further requires that officials complete diversity and anti-discrimination training, and requires student athletes to complete annual sportsmanship and anti-harassment training. This Act also clarifies that member schools must fully cooperate with DIAA investigations of alleged regulatory violations. Finally, this Act makes technical corrections to existing code to conform to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act takes effect on the earlier of July 1, 2027 or the date of notice in the Register of Regulations that regulations implementing this Act have been promulgated.

This Senate Joint Resolution directs the Delaware Department of Education to reevaluate the use of the SAT within Delaware’s accountability system while continuing to offer the SAT during the school day for students who wish to take it. The Resolution further directs the Department to engage educators statewide in developing a modernized accountability framework, explore additional measures permitted under federal law, recognize career readiness indicators such as industry credentials, dual enrollment, and work-based learning, and clarify that proficiency results are one indicator of postsecondary readiness rather than a sole measure of school quality. The Department will explore and develop a coherent high school assessment system, including a standards-aligned high school summative assessment and learning progress assessments, designed to provide timely, instructionally useful data while maintaining full compliance with federal accountability requirements.