Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos

This Act changes the probate dollar limit for administering a small estate without requiring Letters of Administration or Letters of Testamentary from $30,000 to $50,000. This Act also makes changes to conform with the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Maddy summarySB 239 removes an 8% cap on net metering for customer-generated electricity in Delaware. This change directly affects residential and business customers with solar panels or other renewable energy systems, allowing them to send more excess power to the grid without hitting the previous limit. Utilities will now need to accommodate higher levels of customer-generated energy under this policy. The bill was introduced in the Senate on February 19, 2026, and referred to the Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee.

This Act clarifies that paid leave for the adoption of a child may begin at one of the following times: (1) when the child is placed for adoption with the employee; (2) when the employee initiates a petition for adoption; or (3) when the adoption process is completed.

This Act changes the age at which a person can bartend from 21 years old to 18 years old, and requires that a bartender who is 18, 19, or 20 years old be directly supervised by a person who is 21 years of age or older and who is working behind the bar with the 18-, 19-, or 20-year-old. This Act also increases the frequency of statutorily mandated alcoholic beverage server training from every 4 years to every 2 years. To ensure that 18–20-year-olds are protected from sexually oriented content by virtue of being permitted to bartend, this Act prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from entering into or working in any capacity in a tavern or taproom that offers sexually oriented entertainment. This includes taverns and taprooms that are licensed as adult entertainment establishments under Chapter 16 of Title 24, taverns and taprooms that offer sexually explicit performances as defined in § 787 of Title 11, and tavern and taprooms that are advertised as “strip clubs,” “adult entertainment clubs,” “gentlemen’s clubs,” or that offer performances or services of a sexually oriented nature. Currently, Delaware is in the minority of states when it comes to requiring bartenders to be 21 years old. By reducing the legal bartending age to 18, this Act will help Delaware’s food service industry remain competitive with the many other states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in which 18–20-year-olds can bartend.

This Act amends the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law to adopt the protections of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973’s Section 504 (“Section 504”), and its implementing regulations as those regulations existed on January 1, 2025. This bill will help ensure that Delawareans with disabilities get broad and full protection within Delaware. The bill also adds that references to Section 504 in other parts of Delaware law or regulation will be considered a reference to the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law.

This House Concurrent Resolution recognizes June 8 through 12, 2026, as “Community Health Improvement Week” in the State of Delaware and honors the essential role of community health workers in advancing health equity, improving health outcomes, and strengthening communities across the State.

This House Concurrent Resolution celebrates the progress of the LGBTQ+ movement and acknowledges the month of June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the State of Delaware.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May 20, 2026, as Public Health Advocacy Day in Delaware to formally acknowledge the importance of public health efforts. It is a symbolic measure that does not alter laws, allocate funding, or impose new requirements on individuals or organizations. The resolution serves as an official state recognition rather than a functional policy change.

This Act is the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would establish a fundamental right for all employees to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend the Delaware Constitution. In addition, as the first leg of a constitutional amendment, the next General Assembly must pass an act concurring with this Act for it to become part of the Delaware Constitution.

Delaware relies on fees imposed as surcharges by the criminal legal system to generate revenue for government services. These criminal fees can be an unstable revenue generator, especially when there are recessions, pandemics, or other major economic events. This Act repeals three fees that currently fund videophone systems used by state and local agencies, personnel, equipment, and training expenses related to judicial branch security, and victim notification initiatives. The elimination of these fees was recommended by the Criminal Legal System Imposed Debt Study Group created by House Bill 244, as amended by House Amendment No 2, of the 151st General Assembly, in its December 7, 2023 report. The Criminal Legal System Imposed Debt Study Group also recommended replacement of lost revenue for affected agencies as needed with General Funds. In repealing these fees, the General Assembly intends to eliminate any outstanding balances owed on these fees.