Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos

This Act amends Title 6 by adding "lease-purchase property" to the Delaware Lease-Purchase Agreement Act. Pursuant to the Act, "lease-purchase property" means personal property that is owned by the lessor at the time it is displayed and offered for lease-purchase to the consumer. The Act provides that, for lease-purchase property offered online and available for online sale or sale by e-commerce, a lessor may satisfy the lessor's disclosure obligations under § 7606(c) by electronic disclosure. Similarly, for personal property, other than lease-purchase property, that is offered for lease-purchase by a lessor, the lessor must disclose electronically the cash price of the item and the amount of the lease payment and the total amount of lease payments necessary to acquire ownership. These disclosures must be made before any of the disclosures required by § 7603 of the Delaware Lease-Purchase Agreement Act. Finally, the Act makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

In a state of emergency, getting information to the public as quickly as possible is vital to the safety of the community. This Act provides protections to those who provide these essential communication and broadcasting services by deeming them "first informers." Under this Act, first informers are exempt from driving restrictions that the Governor may impose during a state of emergency. This Act also reorganizes provisions of Chapter 31 of Title 20 for clarity and makes additional technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Maddy summarySenate Concurrent Resolution 78 proclaims May 2025 as "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month" in the State of Delaware. This resolution aims to raise awareness about cystic fibrosis among the state's residents.

Maddy summarySenate Concurrent Resolution 82 recognizes May 2025 as "Older Americans Month" in the State of Delaware. This resolution serves to acknowledge and honor the contributions of older Americans within the state.

This Act requires the Department of Health and Social Services to submit a Medicaid State Plan Amendment to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to be allowed to provide comprehensive dental benefits to Medicaid-eligible adults.

This Act creates a uniform framework under which a county or municipality may enact an ordinance that exempts Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties from property taxes and instead, require that a LIHTC property make an annual payment in lieu of taxes equal to 5% of the LIHTC’s annual net income as reported to the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA). Under this Act, a LIHTC property that is exempt from property taxes is also exempt from taxation by school districts. Allowing LIHTC properties to make a payment in lieu of taxes, acknowledges the public benefit of the affordable housing provided by LIHTC properties. The Internal Revenue Service LIHTC was created in 1986 by the federal government to encourage a private/public investment to preserve and construct new affordable rental housing. Alone and in combination with tax exempt private activity bonds, the LIHTC has been the most productive source of affordable housing financing in the nation’s history. DSHA receives an annual tax credit amount and awards credits annually through a competitive process. The awards are based on criteria outlined in DSHA’s Qualified Allocation Plan. The equity raised through the tax credit investment makes it possible for developers to attract the financing needed to create or restore low-income rental housing. A LIHTC project must comply with a number of requirements including the timeframe from the award to when the building is placed in service, tenant income restrictions, maximum rent levels, and percentage of low-income occupancy. All buildings financed with the LIHTC are subject to a land use covenant to enforce program compliance for the entirety of the affordability period.

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes the historic sacrifices and ongoing contributions of Delaware's Direct Support Professionals serving vulnerable adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It also recognizes importance and expertise of Direct Support Professionals to our state and establishes May 20th as “Direct Support Professional” Advocacy Day sponsored by the Ability Network of Delaware and A-Team Delaware.

Maddy summarySenate Concurrent Resolution 80 designates May 2025 as "Lyme Disease Awareness Month" in the State of Delaware. This resolution aims to raise public awareness about Lyme disease.

There is a conflict in Delaware law related to determining whether the name of the husband who dies during the period between the creation of the embryo and placement of the embryo should or can be entered on the birth certificate as the father of the child conceived. Because of this conflict, this Act directs the State Registrar of Vital Statistics to immediately amend the birth certificate of the impacted individual, Levi Ryan Murray, to include the name of his father, Ryan Murray, on his birth certificate. This Act is necessary so that this child’s birth certificate can be completed while the General Assembly considers how to resolve this conflict in the law generally. The only difference between Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 119 and SB 119 is that SS 1 for SB 119 corrects a misspelling of “Murray”.

This Concurrent Resolution proclaims May 15, 2025, as "Home Care Advocacy Day" in Delaware to recognize the dedication and hard work of caregivers, to emphasize the critical importance of access to quality home care services for Delaware’s aging residents to live independently and age with dignity, and to advocate for policies and resources that support the delivery of high-quality, person-centered care in the home setting.