Rep. Mike Smith

This Act removes Delaware from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”) as the state has already exceeded its CO2 reduction goals, cutting emissions by 45%. Despite this progress, Delaware faces high electricity costs and slow economic growth, ranking 46th in GDP growth. RGGI compliance costs are passed on to consumers, making energy more expensive for families and businesses. States outside RGGI have maintained lower energy prices while still reducing emissions. Exiting the program will allow Delaware to pursue policies that support both economic growth and energy affordability.

This Act is a substitute for Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill No. 41. This Act differs from SS 1 for SB 41 in that it removes the ban on the manufacture, sale, delivery, distribution, holding with the intent to sell, and offering for sale in Delaware of food that contains Red dye 40 (CAS no. 25956-17-6). Like SB 41 and SS 1 for SB 41, this Act bans the manufacture, sale, delivery, distribution, holding with the intent to sell, and offering for sale in Delaware of food that contains Red dye 3 (CAS no. 16423-68-0). For purposes of this chapter and section, food includes drink, ice, confectionary, and condiments. Red dye 3 is a color additive made from petroleum that gives foods a bright cherry-red color. Red dye 3, also labeled Red 3 or FD&C Red No. 3, is a synthetic additive used to color food and drink that has been linked to behavioral concerns in children and cancer. Red dye 3 is in thousands of foods, including those marketed to children. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Branded Foods Database at FoodData Central identified 9,201 U.S. food products that contain Red dye 3, including hundreds of products made by the country’s biggest food companies. However, Red dye 3 does not need to be in our food supply. Companies could replace Red dye 3 with natural colors from foods like beets, red cabbage, or black currants, or could simply leave it out entirely. Red dye 3 is added to food only to make it look more appealing. After the release of SB 41, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the authorization to use Red dye 3 in food and ingested drugs under the Delaney Clause of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Delaney Clause prohibits FDA authorization of a food or color additive if it has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals. This Act establishes a State prohibition against Red dye 3 in food products to ensure it will remain banned in the State of Delaware. The civil penalty provision for violation of this Act remains the same as in SB 41 and SS 1 for SB 41; any person that violates this Act is subject to a civil penalty as follows: (1) For a first occurrence, not to exceed $5,000, in addition to costs. (2) For a subsequent occurrence, not to exceed $10,000, in addition to costs. Each day on which a violation of this Act occurs constitutes a separate occurrence. This Act retains the same effective date as SS 1 for SB 41. This Act takes effect on January 15, 2027, to align with the date by which Red dye 3 must be removed from foods under federal law.

This Act amends the Fiscal Year 2025 Bond and Capital Improvements Act to (1) authorize local bond shares to adjust for William Penn High School in the Colonial School District. Further, this Act amends Fiscal Year 2025 Bond and Capital Improvements Act to (2) authorize the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, with concurrence of the Controller General and the Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on Capital, to transfer any necessary spending authority from the Cultural Access Fund; (3) revise allocations to the City of Dover and Downtown Dover Partnership; (4) revise the allocation for the University of Delaware for Deferred Maintenance from Laboratories to Campus Improvements; (5) revise the State and Local share allocations for the Smyrna Roof Replacement project and authorizes School Construction Market Pressure to be transferrable between Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 to achieve allocations; (6) adjust School Safety and Security funding from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Delaware State Police, Special Investigation to reflect State Bureau of Identification; (7) removes the requirement of school districts and charter schools to obligate prior fiscal year MCI funds prior to utilizing Enhanced MCI; (8) authorize the transfer of any remaining funds from Legislative Hall major and minor capital improvement appropriations to be used for the Legislative Hall Garage/Expansion project; (9) authorize the transfer of any remaining funds from the Domestic Violence Coordinating Feasibility Study to the Criminal Justice Council for Family Justice Center startup costs; (10) authorizes the transfer of funds allocated for the Scannell Readiness Center and up to $500,000 of available Minor Capital Improvements to cover the project for the Bethany Beach Training Barracks; (11) authorizes funds from Capital School District’s Certificate of Necessity (CN 2113A) to be used to support new facilities for the Kent County Community School and Kent County Secondary ILC; (12) authorize the Department of Transportation to use Community Transportation Funds for one-time reimbursements for various projects; (13) reprograms funding from the Community Redevelopment/Reinvestment Fund from Downtown Milford, Inc. to the Delaware State Fair, the Milford District Fee Public Library Commission, and Kent Sussex Industries; (14) authorize the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to perform an adaptive reuse study for the Delaware State Police Troop 7; and (15) remove the deadline date requiring Sussex County Council to adopt § 6961, Title 9 of the Delaware Code.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates January 2025 as "National Mentoring Month" in Delaware, symbolically recognizing the value of mentoring programs. It does not create new laws, allocate funding, or change existing programs - it simply encourages Delawareans to support mentoring efforts that benefit youth. The bill cites research showing mentoring improves youth mental health, academic performance, and life skills, particularly for vulnerable groups like foster youth. As a symbolic gesture, it directly affects all Delaware residents by urging community engagement with mentoring initiatives, though it has no binding policy impact. The resolution was introduced by Senator Lockman and passed unanimously by both legislative chambers in early 2025.

Maddy summaryHCR 4 is a symbolic resolution recognizing January 2025 as "Human Trafficking Awareness Month" in Delaware. It does not create new laws or allocate funds but aims to raise public awareness about human trafficking through statewide educational efforts. The resolution references Delaware-specific data, including 269 identified trafficking cases and 611 victims reported via Delaware's hotline in fiscal year 2024. It aligns with ongoing work by Delaware's Anti-Trafficking Action Council (DATAC) to coordinate community responses. This resolution directly affects Delaware residents by designating a month for community education on trafficking prevention and victim support.

This resolution recognizes the Easterseals/CAI Volleyball Challenge occurring March 8 at University of Delaware Carpenter Sports Building, an event that raises funds for an organization providing services and support to Delawareans with disabilities and senior citizens and their families.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution honors and recognizes the leadership, achievements, and sacrifices of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and urges all citizens of the First State to participate fittingly in the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 20, 2025.

School board members are currently required to engage both in financial responsibility training and a training to understand educational and legal issues about due process and special education. This Act will require that a school board president inform each new member of the board of the training obligation. A school board president must also send a letter by January 15 of every year to any school board member who has not fulfilled the training obligation by January 1 following that member’s election or appointment. The Act also makes the special education due process training requirement explicit in the Code for members of a charter school board of directors as well as members of a traditional or vocational technical district school board. This training is already required for charter schools by regulation.

This Act authorizes the creation of Family Justice Centers within Delaware to provide victims of crime with a single source to obtain resources and support services.

This act requires that an owner be reimbursed up to $1,500 annually for veterinary care expenses paid by the owner for the care of a law-enforcement canine retired from a police department of a political subdivision of the State of Delaware. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security is the implementing agency for this act.