DOVER — At the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session, Delaware Senate Democrats recounted their many accomplishments from the first leg of the 153rd General Assembly.
“Each member of our caucus has spent the past several months working to lower costs for Delaware families while fighting for a welcoming and transparent government that looks out for everyone,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola. “This year has been an especially challenging one. We’ve seen unprecedented rises in energy costs, strains on the stock of affordable housing, and a wide range of threats to our social safety net. But despite the volatility we’ve seen coming from the federal government, the Senate Majority Caucus never wavered from its collective commitment to ensuring equal rights and opportunity for all.”
In addition to passing a $6.6 billion operating budget, a $977 million capital budget, and $98 million in Grant-in-Aid bill, Senate Democrats passed several critical pieces of legislation on behalf of working families across the First State.
Rising Energy Costs:
- Senate Bill 59 gives the Public Service Commission greater scrutiny over requested rate increases by moving Delaware from the “business judgment rule” to the “prudence” standard. Doing so gives the Public Service Commission the ability to deny, in whole or in part, the passing along of certain expenses and other costs incurred by the utility if they are not deemed “prudent,” which can lead to less frequent and less impactful rate increases.
- Senate Bill 60 prohibits regulated utilities from using customer funds to pay for any unregulated activities, like lobbying, political contributions, or certain advertising and public relations activities.
- Senate Bill 61 requires all votes of the PJM Interconnection Regional Transmission Organization to be made public. Many of the cost drivers of recent increases have originated at the PJM level, which bids on available energy from suppliers and then passes on those costs to local utilities.
- House Bill 50 (S) creates the Delaware Energy Fund to provide assistance to consumers whose household income is less than 350% of the federal poverty level.
- House Bill 62 (S) restricts when or how a regulated utility can shut off or terminate service.
- House Bill 116 gives the Public Service Commission the ability to approve lower gas and electric rates for low-income households.
Criminal Justice & Prison Reform:
- Senate Bill 7(S) directs the courts, the Board of Parole, and the Bureau of Community Corrections to use the “least restrictive probation and parole conditions” and the “most minimally-intrusive reporting requirements necessary” to meet the goals of community supervision.
- Senate Bill 10 (S) — the Richard “Mouse” Smith Compassionate Release Act — codifies and expands Delaware’s framework for sentence modification.
- Senate Bill 17 (S) revises the Victims’ Bill of Rights and the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program to better protect safety and confidentiality.
- House Bill 35 (S) is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to ban the use of the death penalty.
Equal Rights & Civil Liberties:
- Senate Bill 83 amends the Long-Term Care Residents Bill of Rights to protect residents from discrimination.
- House Bill 152 (S) expands the criminal offense of impersonating a law enforcement officer.
- House Bill 153 (S) prohibits citizen’s arrests.
- House Bill 182 prohibits local law enforcement agencies from entering into 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of enforcing immigration violations or sharing immigration enforcement related data.
Government Efficiency, Transparency, and Accessibility:
- Senate Bill 4 (S) establishes an independent Office of the Inspector General, a nonpartisan state agency capable of undertaking investigations, issuing public opinions, and initiating civil proceedings against state officials accused of violating the public’s trust.
- House Bill 64 (S) – Requires all school board meetings to offer remote attendance options and virtual public comment to members of the community.
- House Bill 82 strengthens the residency requirement for school board members, ensuring that members live in the districts they represent for at least 75% of their term.
- House Bill 83 (S) clearly defines the permissible reasons for virtual attendance for school board members.
- House Bill 85 strengthens the background check requirement for school board members.
Sokola continued: “Whether it’s seniors, veterans, or working families struggling to get by, Senate Democrats have championed a number of policies to help make ends meet.”
Other ways the Senate Majority Caucus has lowered costs for Delawareans:
- Senate Bill 156 (S) prohibits the reporting of medical debt to consumer reporting agencies so that it cannot be used against someone in credit, employment, or housing decisions. This legislation builds on Senate Bill 8 from the previous General Assembly and complements an investment in the FY 26 budget that will eliminate up to $50 million in outstanding medical debt.
- House Bill 1 (S) establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs led by a cabinet-level Secretary.
- Senate Concurrent Resolution 102 directs the General Assembly to work with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) to assess resources available for asset-limited, income-constrained, employed (ALICE) people.
- Senate Joint Resolution 7 (S) directs the State Employees Benefits Committee (SEBC) to utilize specific strategies and policies when interacting and contracting with Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) in order to achieve lower cost pharmaceutical drug benefit plans for the State.
“Through much collaboration with our counterparts in the House of Representatives, Democrats in Dover have delivered real results for the people of Delaware this legislative session,” said Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend. “We are grateful to Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown and her team for their unwavering commitment to lifting up the working people across our State and fighting for equality, opportunity, and justice for all.”
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