Budget & Taxes (Appropriations)

This bill authorizes a one-time funding allocation of approximately $146.2 million to the Office of Management and Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. The money is designated to cover specific, temporary expenses identified by that agency. The legislation has been approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives and is now ready for final passage.

This bill allocates state funds to cover government operations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, directly affecting all state agencies and departments. It establishes specific rules and limits on how these funds can be spent and updates related state laws to reflect these financial constraints. The legislation has been passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, moving it closer to becoming law.

This Act recognizes that the Public Education Funding Committee’s (PEFC) recommended hybrid model formula to determine public education funding is good public policy and that implementation of the hybrid model should not be delayed any longer than absolutely necessary. As such, this Act provides authority for the Department of Education (Department) to begin making the changes to systems that are necessary to implement the hybrid model for Fiscal Year 2028. This Act also encourages that, in collaboration with the PEFC, the Department incorporate elements of the hybrid model in the development of the Governor’s Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2028 for consideration by the 154th General Assembly. However, during this transition, a school district or charter school should not receive a state appropriation for Fiscal Year 2028 that is lower than the amount that school received in Fiscal Year 2027. The PEFC was established under Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 201 (152nd General Assembly) on June 27, 2024, and then re-established under House Concurrent Resolution No. 2 (153rd General Assembly) on January 21, 2025, to conduct a comprehensive review of public education funding for all students and populations served by school districts and charter schools (public schools) and develop a roadmap of recommendations to implement improvements to the public education funding system. The PEFC’s recommends adopting a new public education funding framework, known as the “hybrid model”, that combines the current, resource-based funding formula with a student-based, weighted funding model. The hybrid model will improve equity in public school funding and facilitate gains in student achievement by increasing flexibility in how public schools may use appropriated money. The PEFC recommendations include accountability measures as an important balance to the increased flexibility and that the equalization formula must be modernized.

This Act requires the State to have a migrant education program to ensure that migrant children’s educational needs are met. The program must provide the same services that were provided or were required to be provided under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act on January 19, 2025. If federal funding is insufficient to meet the needs of migratory education, the Delaware Department of Education must identify, transfer, or request the appropriation of supplemental funding from the State or other sources to ensure no interruption in services.

HB 226 provides a one-time funding of $37,632,955 to the Office of Management and Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. This supplemental appropriation covers specific, one-time budgeted expenses that were not included in the original budget allocation. The funds are intended to address immediate financial needs within the state's budget process for that fiscal year.

HB 100 allocates state funding for government operations during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, covering agency budgets and setting spending rules for state departments. It establishes procedures for how funds can be used, including specific limitations on expenditures, and updates related state laws to align with these funding allocations. This bill directly affects all state agencies receiving funding under the 2026 budget.

HB 101 allocates $17.56 million as a one-time supplemental appropriation to the Office of Management and Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. This funding is designated for specific, existing projects managed through the Office of Management and Budget, not for new programs. The bill directly affects the Office of Management and Budget, which will distribute these funds to designated state projects. It is a procedural budget measure, pending action by the Appropriations Committee after its January 15, 2025, introduction.

HB 225 is the state's budget bill for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. It allocates state funds to government agencies and programs, while establishing specific rules and limits on how those funds can be spent. The bill also updates certain state laws to support the budget's implementation. This legislation directly affects how state agencies manage taxpayer-funded operations during the 2025-2026 fiscal year.