This Senate Concurrent Resolution designates the week of May 11-17, 2025, as "Charter Schools Week" in the State of Delaware and commends Delaware's public charter schools for their efforts in educating Delaware students.
This Act allows an employee organization to file a petition with the Board to become the exclusive representative of an appropriate bargaining unit for the purpose of collective bargaining. In the event an employee organization provides over 50% of the employees’ approval, through their authorized signatures, then the Board may not order an election but must certify the employee organization. This Act also makes technical corrections to confirm existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Maddy summarySB 147 adopts the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact within Delaware. This compact is an agreement among participating states designed to streamline the licensing process for dental professionals. It allows dentists and dental hygienists who hold a valid license in one member state to practice in other member states without needing to obtain a separate license in each jurisdiction. The bill aims to facilitate the practice of qualified dental professionals across state lines.
This Act prohibits a seller that regularly accepts payment by credit card from (1) imposing a credit card surcharge greater than the percentage processing fee charged by the credit card company, for transactions of $1,500 or less, and (2) refusing to accept payment by credit card or imposing any credit card surcharge, for transactions that exceed $1,500.
This Act prohibits any autonomous vehicle that requires a Class A commercial driver license without an O restriction from being operated on a Delaware highway for testing purposes, transporting goods, or transporting passengers without a human safety operator being physically present within the autonomous vehicle. A two-thirds vote requirement is required under Section 28 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution.
Under this Act a law-enforcement officer of this State is not allowed to do any of the following: (1) Stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based on actual or suspected citizenship or immigration status, or actual or suspected violations of federal civil immigration law. (2) Inquire about an individual’s immigration status, citizenship, place of birth, or eligibility for a social security number. (3) Make an arrest, detain, or prolong the detention of an individual based on civil immigration warrants or immigration detainers.
This resolution acknowledges the critical and immediate need for funding for community-based mental health services. It recognizes the expertise and importance of Community Mental Health providers and its workforce to Delawareans with mental illness to our state on the occasion of May 14, 2025, as “Community Mental Health Workforce” Advocacy Day, co-sponsored by the Ability Network of Delaware.
This Act prohibits discrimination based on weight, height, or body size in transportation, public accommodation, housing, commerce and trade, employment, jury selection, education, and public administration. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
This Act is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to create an independent redistricting commission to redistrict Senatorial and Representative districts following each federal decennial census. The purpose of this Act is to establish more transparency in government, and to strengthen citizens' faith in the election and redistricting processes that serve as the foundation of democracy in this State. To achieve this purpose, this Act establishes the Independent Redistricting Commission (“Commission”). The Commission is responsible for drawing the boundaries of Delaware's Representative and Senatorial districts every 10 years, following each decennial census. The process begins with the selection of a pool of 24 potential Commission members by a bipartisan judicial panel from applications filed with the Commissioner of Elections. The pool must include 8 candidates from each of the State’s two largest political parties and 8 candidates that are not a member of either of the State’s two largest parties. Before the selection of Commission members from the pool of 24 potential Commission members, the following individuals each have the opportunity to strike one candidate from the pool: the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the House Minority Leader, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Senate Minority Leader. From the pool of remaining candidates, the Commissioner of Elections will draw by lot until the following conditions are satisfied: (1) The Commission has 5 members, with 1 member from each county, plus 1 member from the City of Wilmington, plus 1 member from anywhere in this State. (2) Two members of the Commission are members of the State’s largest political party, 2 members of the Commission are members of the State’s second largest political party, and 1 member of the Commission who is not a member of either of the State’s two largest political parties. Eligible candidates may not be, and may not have in the 5 years before appointment been, a federal or state lobbyist, an officer of a federal or state political party, an officer of a campaign committee, or an elected federal or state official. Commissioners are also prohibited from running for the General Assembly in the election following the redistricting and from registering as a federal or state lobbyist for 5 years following the term as a Commissioner. Once established, the Commission must prepare a preliminary redistricting plan and report for public distribution, and 4 public hearings must be held before a final redistricting plan and report is approved by the Commission. The Commission is to be guided in this task by standards and criteria established in this Act, including that the redistricting plan provide effective representation for all residents of this State, including racial, ethnic, and language minorities, and meeting the following criteria: (1) The districts are to be formed of contiguous territory. (2) The districts are to be nearly equal in population, with no more than 5% population deviation between districts. (3) The districts are to be bounded by major roads and streams or other natural boundaries. (4) The districts are to be created so as to not unduly favor any person or political party. (5) The districts are to comply with all standards mandated by federal law, including the federal Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1971 et. seq., or any successor law. (6) The districts are to comply with the criteria for counting incarcerated individuals for redistricting purposes, as established by an act of the General Assembly. (7) The districts are to be created to consider and preserve communities of interest. The Commission is to be advised in its efforts by 4 advisory committees, one for each county and one for the City of Wilmington. Each advisory committee is to consist of 12 members appointed by the Commission. The members must be diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and geographic location, and, to ensure that an advisory committee makes well-informed recommendations, expert members in the fields of election law, redistricting, demographics, political science, community organizing, and data visualization must be appointed through a transparent and inclusive process. For the Commission’s final redistricting plan and report to become law, the plan and report must pass both Houses of the General Assembly with the concurrence of a majority of all members elected to each House, but not presented to the Governor for action. If the General Assembly fails to pass the Commission’s final plan and report or revised final plan and report, the Supreme Court shall redistrict the Representative and Senatorial districts in compliance with the standards and criteria in this Act. If the Commission fails to adopt a preliminary, final, or revised final redistricting plan and report, the Supreme Court shall redistrict the Representative and Senatorial districts in compliance with the standards and criteria in this Act. The Supreme Court has original and exclusive jurisdiction to resolve challenges to the final redistricting plan and report enacted by the General Assembly or itself. If a redistricting plan and report adopted by the General Assembly is adjudicated unconstitutional or in violation of the law of this State or federal law, the Supreme Court shall redistrict the Representative and Senatorial districts in compliance with the standards and criteria in this Act. 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. Amending the Delaware Constitution requires not only the passing of the changes in this Act, but also passage of the same changes after the next general election by the next General Assembly.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution officially recognizes May 13, 2025, as Delaware Local Government Day in the State of Delaware. It serves to acknowledge the role of local governments within the state.
