FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | July 30, 2026
Contact: Joe Edelen (302) 743-7013
DOVER – One month after gaveling out of the 2026 legislative session, Delaware Senate Democrats highlighted their key legislative accomplishments, emphasizing their work to make life more affordable for Delawareans while strengthening communities throughout the State.
Those measures build on Senate Democrats’ passage of the Fiscal Year 2027 spending package, which includes Delaware’s $6.99 billion operating budget, $1.25 billion capital budget, and $99.4 million Grants-in-Aid bill, which allocates funds to organizations that provide vital services throughout the State.
“In January, I said that this session was shaping up to be one of our busiest and most impactful during my 36 year tenure: and I was right. Over the course of our work this past year, Senate Democrats remained focused on the challenges facing everyday Delawareans as the cost of housing, energy, groceries, and other everyday necessities continue to rise,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola. “During the 153rd General Assembly, we prioritized the needs of our constituents and advanced monumental, impactful legislation aimed at easing financial burdens, making life more affordable, and ensuring our communities are safer throughout all three counties in our State.”
Curbing Rising Energy Costs:
- Senate Bill 326 protects ratepayers by preventing public utilities like Delmarva Power from passing costs for non-mandatory capital investments to Delawareans.
- Senate Bill 276 allows electric cooperatives to not supply energy to large load users like data centers, if they have a monthly demand of 50 MW or more.
- Senate Bill 308 provides Public Service Commission oversight of PJM Interconnection load forecasts to ensure accuracy and transparency.
- House Bill 233 (S) implements guardrails on data center development and creates a separate rate class for such large load energy users.
- House Bill 310 excludes large energy use facilities from being eligible to receive tax credits.
- House Bill 445 requires large load users to produce their own renewable energy to prevent strain on the electric grid.
Making Property Reassessment Fairer and More Predictable:
- Senate Bill 228 (S) grants authority to New Castle County’s Office of Finance to conduct a quality control review of non-residential tax parcels to ensure accuracy.
- Senate Bill 322 repeals school districts’ ability to raise taxes by 10% after reassessment, and grants school boards authority to increase local revenue by up to 2% annually.
- Senate Bill 230 (S) grants subpoena power to all three Delaware counties for testimony and documentary evidence used to determine the fair market value of a property.
- House Bill 460 expands New Castle County’s permit data sharing requirements.
- House Bill 461 grants special authority to New Castle County school districts to reset their tax rate for the 2026-2027 tax year.
- House Bill 462 allows school districts to split school tax rates, alleviating residential tax burden.
- House Concurrent Resolution 150 establishes the Property Reassessment Working Group.
- House Concurrent Resolution 151 creates the Property Tax Relief and Modernization Working Group.
Improving Our Education System:
- Senate Bill 302 implements the Public Education Funding Commission’s recommended hybrid funding formula.
- Senate Bill 303 codifies the Public Education Funding Commission as a permanent body.
- House Bill 300 establishes a Title IX coordinator at the Department of Education.
- Senate Joint Resolution 14 directs the Department of Education to develop and submit a report on workforce data and compensation of education support professionals.
Strengthening Health Care:
- Senate Bill 1 (S) reforms Delaware’s primary care system to prioritize wellness and adopts value-based care models.
- Senate Bill 13 (S) establishes updated hospital charity care standards and expands financial assistance for patients with medical debt.
- Senate Bill 313 implements a moratorium on private equity hospital sales.
- Senate Bill 319 (S) expands coverage for menopause and perimenopause care.
- Senate Bill 301 requires hospitals to create a discharge plan for pregnant patients in labor.
Ensuring Equal Rights and Bolstering Transparency:
- Senate Bill 2 (S) enshrines early, in-person voting for elections into the Delaware Constitution..
- Senate Bill 3 (S) enshrines permanent absentee ballot voting into the Delaware Constitution.
- Senate Bill 100 (S) enshrines the right to marry regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation into the Delaware Constitution.
- Senate Bill 312 prevents state agencies and jurisdictions from entering into NDAs that restrict public access to information regarding data center development.
- House Bill 444 establishes the nation’s first state-level John Lewis Voting Rights Act following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Callais ruling.
- House Bill 155 (S) requires Public Integrity Commission reports to be published online.
Addressing Our Housing Shortage:
- Senate Bill 23 (S) calls on counties and municipalities to incorporate an affordable housing plan within their comprehensive plans in effort to spur affordable housing development.
- Senate Bill 116 (S) creates a right of redemption by allowing tenants facing eviction to remain in their homes if they pay all outstanding rental debt before the eviction order is executed.
- Senate Bill 310 creates the Disaster Recovery Fund to provide recovery assistance to residents and local governments affected by disasters.
- House Bill 450 (S) streamlines permitting policies and procedures to expedite housing and infrastructure development.
- Senate Resolution 13 directs the Department of Finance to develop a report on the involvement of business entities purchasing residential property in Delaware.
Protecting Our Communities:
- Senate Bill 300 (S) creates a state licensing requirement for firearms dealers to prevent guns from entering the illegal market.
- House Bill 150 (S) prohibits civil arrests from being made in courthouses or Department of Labor offices where the Industrial Accident Board conducts hearings.
- House Bill 151 prohibits state prisons from entering into agreements with federal immigration enforcement to house immigrants
- House Bill 368 (S) clarifies local law enforcement’s involvement in immigration detainer requests.
The Senate Democratic Communications team will continue to be in touch with the press regarding bill signing ceremonies and the implementation guidelines for certain legislation. If members of the press have any specific questions about this, contact joseph.edelen@delaware.gov.
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