| HB 25 | Signed | Collins | This bill amends the charter of the Town of Millsboro to authorize redistricting of the Town's 3 municipal election districts using the 2020 federal decennial census by January 1, 2026 and to thereafter redistrict within 2 years of the latest federal decennial census. This bill also changes the process to fill a vacancy on the Town Council so that: (1) the Town Council shall appoint a person to fill a vacancy when there is less than 1 year remaining in the vacant term; (2) a special election is required to fill a vacancy when there is more than 1 year remaining in the vacant term; and (3) the Town Council shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy if no one files to run in the special election. This bill also clarifies that the Secretary shall be one of the members of the Town Council and describes the duties of the Secretary.T | AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF MILLSBORO RELATING TO TOWN OF MILLSBORO ELECTION DISTRICTS, VACANCIES, AND THE TOWN SECRETARY. |
| HB 140 | Signed | Morrison | This Act permits a terminally ill individual who is an adult resident of Delaware to request and self-administer medication to end the individual's life in a humane and dignified manner if both the individual's attending physician or attending advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) and a consulting physician or consulting APRN agree on the individual's diagnosis and prognosis and believe the individual has decision-making capacity, is making an informed decision, and is acting voluntarily. This Act is the same as House Bill No. 140 (152nd) with 1 technical revision to include a definition of "physician" for consistency and to clarify that a physician must be licensed in Delaware.
This Act provides the following procedural safeguards:
1. No one may request medication to end life on behalf of another individual.
2. An individual cannot qualify for medication to end life under this chapter solely because of the individual's age or disability. A mental illness or mental health condition is not a qualifying condition under this Act and a mental illness or mental health condition may be the reason that an individual does not have decision-making capacity and is thus, ineligible for medication to end their life in a humane and dignified manner.
3. Both the individual's attending physician or attending APRN and a consulting physician or consulting APRN must confirm that the individual has a terminal illness and a prognosis of 6 months or less to live, has decision-making capacity, is making an informed decision, and is acting voluntarily.
4. The individual's attending physician or attending APRN must also provide specific disclosures to the individual to ensure that the individual is making an informed decision, including the presentation of all end of life options which include comfort care, palliative care, hospice care, and pain control.
5. The individual must be evaluated by a psychiatrist or a psychologist if either the attending or consulting physicians or APRNs are concerned that the individual lacks decision-making capacity.
6. The individual must complete a witnessed form requesting medication to end life and there are limitations on who can witness the signing of the form.
7. The attending physician or attending APRN must offer the individual the opportunity to rescind the request for medication to end life before writing a prescription for the medication.
8. Two waiting periods must pass before the attending physician or attending APRN may prescribe the medication to end life.
9. The attending physician or attending APRN must provide the qualified patient with instructions about the proper safe-keeping and disposal of unused medication to end life in a humane and dignified manner under applicable state or federal guidelines. The United States Food and Drug Administration guidelines include using a medication collection site or a medication disposal pouch, that deactivates and renders drugs ineffective.
10. An insurer or health-care provider may not deny or alter health-care benefits otherwise available to an individual based upon the availability of medication to end life or otherwise coerce or require a request for medication to end life as a condition of receiving care.
11. A health-care institution may prohibit a physician or APRN from prescribing medication under this Act on the health-care institution's premises and a physician or APRN may to refuse to prescribe medication under this Act.
12. A request or prescription for or the dispensing of medication under this Act does not constitute elder abuse, suicide, assisted-suicide, homicide, or euthanasia.
13. People acting in good faith and in accordance with generally accepted health-care standards under this Act have immunity, but those acting with negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct do not have criminal or civil immunity.
14. The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) must develop rules and regulations to collect information regarding compliance with this Act and require health-care providers to file a report when medication to end life in a humane and dignified manner is prescribed or dispensed. DHSS may review samples of records maintained under this Act.
The information DHSS collects must include the information necessary to assess a physician's or APRN's compliance with their responsibilities under this Act and DHSS has explicit authority to share information with the Division of Professional Regulation if DHSS suspects that a health-care provider failed to comply with the requirements under this Act.
15. DHSS must complete an annual statistical report of information collected under this Act, similar to public reports available in other states such as New Jersey where this end of life option is available. This report has the following purposes:
• To assist the DHSS in its oversight responsibilities for this Act.
• To assist the public in learning how well this new law is operating.
16. The Department of State may also promulgate regulations or develop forms and protocols necessary under this Act.
17. Allows the Office of Controlled Substances to provide reports of data in the prescription monitoring program to DHSS to assess compliance with this Act.
This Act takes effect when final regulations required under this Act have been promulgated or January 1, 2026, whichever occurs earlier.
This Act is known as "The Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law" in memory of Ron Silverio and Heather Block, who were passionate advocates that passed away without this option becoming available to them. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO END OF LIFE OPTIONS. |
| HB 23 | Signed | K. Williams | This Act makes the following changes to human trafficking law:
(1) It adds “patronizing a victim of sexual servitude” and “ trafficking of persons for use of body parts” to the offenses that may serve as a predicate for forfeiture of property under the trafficking statute.
(2) It removes an obsolete reference to charging a minor with delinquency for engaging in prostitution. The Criminal Code was revised in 2019 to define prostitution as a crime that may be committed only by a person who is 18 years of age or older.
(3) It adds conduct constituting a human trafficking offense to the list of conduct that constitutes “abuse” for purposes of obtaining a protective order in Family Court. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 AND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. |
| HB 27 w/ HA 1 | Signed | K. Williams | This Act makes changes to the operating requirements for the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council.
It reduces the members required for quorum from 13 to 10. Since the quorum requirement has been reduced to less than a majority of the Council, the bill also specifies that the Council may generally take action upon the vote of a majority of members present at a meeting, but that a majority vote of the Council members is required to approve the appointment of an Executive Director. Consistent with current practice, the Executive Director has the authority to hire staff and contract for services within the limits of available funds.
The Act also revises the reporting on funds spent to be part of the annual report and include state, federal, or other funding received by the Council other than State-funded positions. At the present time, the Council does not receive state funding other than allocated personnel positions.
Finally, the Act allows the Council to have a virtual meeting with a physical location open to the public (anchor location) so long as a staff member of the Council is present at the anchor location. Without this authorization, a member of the Council would be required to attend at the anchor location in order to comply with the State’s open meeting rules. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE ANTI-TRAFFICKING ACTION COUNCIL. |
| HB 16 | Signed | Griffith | This Act adds a high school student to the AI Commission as a nonvoting member. The Chair of the Commission will appoint a student who is, or will be in the next school year, a tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade student in a public or private school in Delaware. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMMISSION. |
| SB 69 | Signed | Buckson | This Act prohibits a school district or charter school from selling or serving breakfast, lunch, or competitive food on campus during the school day that contains the color additive Red dye 40 (CAS no. 25956-17-6). Competitive foods are sold through the school nutrition programs, and include items sold in vending machines on campus or served a la carte.
Red dye 40 (CAS no. 25956-17-6) is a synthetic food coloring derived from petroleum. It is found in food products such as cereal, beverages, gelatins, puddings, popsicles, chips, dairy products, and confections. Red dye 40 is used solely to enhance the appearance of food and does not provide any nutritional value.
Consumption of Red dye 40 has been associated with hyperactivity, aggression, and other neurobehavioral problems in some children. Red dye 40 may also be linked with migraines and learning difficulties. The European Union requires a warning label to be placed on food products with Red dye 40, stating that it “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.
California became the first state to pass a prohibition on the provision of and sale of foods in schools that contain Red dye 40. Presently, at least 6 other states have introduced legislation to prohibit Red dye 40 in schools.
This Act is effective immediately and is to be implemented beginning July 1, 2026. The Department of Education and local education agencies will use the period leading up to the implementation date as a planning and preparation year. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FOODS AND BEVERAGES IN SCHOOLS. |
| HB 110 | Signed | Osienski | This Act identifies the specific categories of persons required to obtain a fingerprint-based national criminal background check in connection with working at a licensed marijuana establishment, holding a marijuana establishment license, or owning or serving on the board of directors of a business entity that has or applies for a marijuana establishment license. This clarification is necessary to comply with the requirements of Public Law (Pub. L.) 92-544 for access to FBI criminal history record information.
This Act also makes conforming changes to § 1354 of Title 4 and clarifies other grounds for approval or denial of a license based on criminal background check information. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE MARIJUANA CONTROL ACT. |
| SB 91 | Out of Committee | Sturgeon | This Act requires schools that receive federal funding ensure students, staff, and faculty are protected from sex-based discrimination and sex-based harassment. The Act further requires schools to communicate to students, through their website, the existence of Title IX administrators as required by federal law. The Act requires the school’s website provide information explaining the roles and duties of Title IX administrators, how to contact the appropriate Title IX administrator, and the school’s Title IX policy. The Act ensures that students have access to the appropriate forms to start a complaint and access to the FAQ link provided by U.S. Office of Civil Rights. The Act instructs the school to provide an explanation and examples of possible supportive measures for students who experience sex-based discrimination or sex-based harassment.
The Act instructs the Title IX coordinator of every Title IX school to provide a written reminder to school staff and faculty at the beginning of the academic year, outlining the school’s Title IX policy regarding the reporting of sex-based discrimination, including sex-based harassment. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TITLE IX. |
| HCR 32 | Passed | Romer | This resolution designates May 2025 as Myositis Awareness Month in Delaware to recognize and raise awareness of myositis, a rare neuromuscular disease. It highlights the efforts of The Myositis Association’s Proclamation 50 campaign, which seeks recognition in all 50 states. The resolution encourages public education, support for affected individuals, and further research into myositis. | RECOGNIZING MAY 2025 AS "MYOSITIS AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| HCR 31 | Passed | Kamela Smith | This concurrent resolution designates April 10th, 2025, as “Youth Author Day” in the State of Delaware. | DESIGNATING APRIL 10TH, 2025, AS “YOUTH AUTHOR DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE. |
| HCR 35 | Passed | K. Johnson | This House Concurrent Resolution recognizes the month of April 2025 as “National Fair Housing Month” in the State of Delaware. | RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2025 AS THE ANNUAL “NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING MONTH” IN THE
STATE OF DELAWARE |
| HCR 36 | Passed | Ross Levin | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes sundown on April 23rd, 2025, through nightfall on April 24th, 2025, as Yom HaShoah, and urges all residents to reflect on the lessons of the Holocaust, honor the memory of its victims, and strive to eradicate prejudice and injustice in all forms. | RECOGNIZING APRIL 23RD TO APRIL 24TH, 2025 AS YOM HASHOAH. |
| HCR 37 | Passed | Minor-Brown | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes April 16, 2025, as "Health Care Decisions Day of Awareness". | RECOGNIZING APRIL 16, 2025, AS “HEALTH CARE DECISIONS DAY OF AWARENESS”. |
| HCR 38 | Passed | Lambert | This Concurrent Resolution recognizes April 17, 2025, as "Celebrate Delaware Together Day", in celebration of Delaware's rich tapestry of cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds. | RECOGNIZING APRIL 17, 2025, AS "CELEBRATE DELAWARE TOGETHER DAY". |
