Sen. Jack Walsh

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.

This resolution recognizes January 2025 as “Tobacco Use Awareness Month” in the State of Delaware, affirms the importance of educating and protecting Delawareans from the harmful effects of tobacco use, encourages collaboration among schools, health advocates, and community organizations to combat tobacco use, and highlights the State of Tobacco Control Report as a leading resource in enacting effective policies to reduce tobacco use.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally designates January 2025 as "National Blood Donor Month" in Delaware. It recognizes the importance of voluntary blood donation to support the Blood Bank of Delmarva and address chronic blood supply shortages, which impact patients requiring transfusions for conditions like cancer, trauma, and sickle cell disease. The resolution urges Delaware citizens, businesses, and organizations to support blood donation efforts and partner with blood collection institutions to host community drives. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new policies or funding but aims to raise awareness and encourage participation in blood donation.

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 summaryThis resolution designates February 2025 as "Senior Independence Month" in Delaware. It symbolically recognizes the importance of home-based care options for seniors and aims to raise awareness about aging in place. The resolution does not create new laws, allocate funding, or change existing policies - it is a ceremonial designation to highlight community efforts supporting Delaware seniors' independence. It directly affects Delaware residents, particularly older adults and caregivers, by drawing attention to existing home care resources.

This concurrent resolution designates February 2025, as “Career and Technical Education Month” in the State of Delaware to urge all citizens to become familiar with the services and benefits offered by the career and technical education programs in their communities and to support and participate in these programs to enhance their individual skills and productivity.

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.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution designates January 9, 2025, as "Law Enforcement Appreciation Day" in Delaware. It symbolically honors Delaware law enforcement officers for their service without creating new policies, requirements, or funding. The resolution expresses legislative gratitude for officers' dedication to community safety and public protection. As a ceremonial measure, it has no direct legal or financial impact on residents or agencies.

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.

Maddy summarySB 30 authorizes Delaware to issue general obligation bonds and revenue bonds for transportation and capital projects during fiscal year 2026. It appropriates funds from the Transportation Trust Fund and state general funds, reallocates existing funds, and sets spending rules for infrastructure improvements like roads and bridges. The bill directly affects Delaware taxpayers (through bond financing) and state agencies managing transportation infrastructure, such as the Delaware Transportation Authority. It does not create new policies but provides the financial mechanism to fund existing capital projects.