Transcript Highlights:

• on unemployment assistance to make ends On unemployment assistance to make ends meet. 22 million workers
• lost their jobs, and about a quarter of all U.S. workers received unemployment benefits.
• Chamber of Commerce, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and Strategic Services on Unemployment and Workers
• I rise today in strong support of my bill to designate the United States Postal Service facility on San
• The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 340 East First Street in Tustin, California

Bills: HCR108 , HB3300 , HB7128 , HB7757 , HB7305 , HB7266 , HB7258 , HB7257 , HB3350 , HB4662 , HB5347 , HB8873

Keywords: HCR108, H. Con. Res. 108, War Powers Resolution, Lebanon, Lebanese Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, hostilities, military withdrawal, troop removal, concurrent resolution, Congressional war powers, executive war powers, foreign policy, Middle East, diplomatic facilities, security cooperation, cease hostilities, military engagement, war authorization, non-authorization of force

Transcript Highlights:

• of this happens, another form of verification happens where the county sends out what’s called a postal
• If it’s a transposition of numbers or something like that, they send a new postal verification card,
• </c> county sends out what's called a postal county sends out what's called a postal verification<00:
• verification card Etc and a new postal verification card Etc and then<00:37:36.720><c> um</c><00:37:
• verification card is sent to uh postal verification card is sent to the<01:14:40.239><c> uh</c><01:14

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• This executive order directs the United States Postal Service to only send ballots to individuals on
• This executive order directs the United States Postal Service to only send ballots to individuals on

Bills: SB259

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• However, social workers are inadvertently left out of that list.
• This bill corrects that omission by allowing school social workers who have passed the Association of
• Postals? Mr. Postles? Yes. Ms. Romer? Yes. Ms. Roemer? Yes. Ms. Ross Levin? Yes. Mr. Ross Levin?
• Postals, yes. Ms. Romer, yes. Ms. Ross-Liven, yes. Mr. Short, yes. Mr. Schoop, yes. Mrs.
• Postals. Mr. Postals, yes, yes, Ms. Romer. Ms. Romer, yes, Mr. Ross-Liven. Yes. Mr.

Summary: The House convened with quorum, offered prayers and moments of silence for community members who had recently died, and recognized several guests and family members in the chamber. After routine communications and passage of consent calendar 29, the chamber took up a series of measures on the main and colored agendas, with several bills and resolutions passing by voice vote or roll call. Among the measures approved were House Concurrent Resolution 157, which as amended requested a State Lottery report on options to support traditional lottery retailers; Senate Bill 53 on the Delaware Farm to Community Program; Senate Bill 307 on PSC authority for Lifeline telecommunications carriers; Senate Bill 339 clarifying health directive forms in mental health facilities; Senate Bill 235 on manufactured home community rent increases; Senate Bill 325, as amended, updating fire prevention and volunteer fire/EMS background check rules; Senate Bill 309 on inmate work and discharge of incarceration-related balances; Senate Bill 324 on deadly weapons and constable agency representatives; Senate Bill 293 on youth camp child care licensing; Senate Bill 94 on respiratory care practitioners and ECMO medication delivery; and Senate Substitute 2 for Senate Bill 100, proposing a constitutional amendment protecting the right to marry regardless of race or gender while preserving religious freedom. House Bill 188, changing Delaware primary elections to allow unaffiliated voters to choose a party primary, also passed after debate. Two measures drew extended discussion and amendments. Senate Bill 233, requiring snow and ice to be removed from vehicles, was tabled once, then later amended and passed after debate over whether the law was workable for truck drivers and other vehicle operators; a proposed truck-related exemption amendment failed. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 404, creating a pilot program for artificial intelligence and extended reality in schools, passed after testimony from the Department of Education emphasizing guardrails, privacy, and educator oversight, alongside concerns from members about data, bias, and long-term effects. Several items were tabled or reconsidered during the session, and the House adjourned after completing the day’s business.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill says when you come to a Delaware courthouse or to a Department of Labor office for a workers
• ' compensation hearing, you cannot be arrested for a civil matter, For a workers' compensation hearing
• This bill says when you come to a Delaware courthouse or to a Department of Labor Office for a workers
• ' compensation hearing, you cannot be arrested for a civil matter, For workers' compensation hearing,
• These are hearings where injured workers come to make their case.

Bills: HB372 , HB414

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on public safety, courts, and family law. House Bill 141, with House Amendment 1, would require the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to create a firearm responsibilities notice for firearm purchasers through licensed dealers, covering Delaware gun laws, safe storage, lost/stolen reporting, straw purchases, suicide prevention, and other safety responsibilities. Testimony from the NRA, Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association, Moms Demand Action, the Coalition for Safer Delaware, and Delaware State Police was uniformly supportive, emphasizing education, standardized dealer practices, and potential evidence for straw-purchase prosecutions. No committee questions were raised, and the bill was moved forward after public comment. House Bill 326 would create a new offense for theft by impersonating a family member, aimed at scams involving spoofed calls, texts, or online messages that pressure victims to send money. The sponsor described the bill as a response to increasingly sophisticated fraud enabled by artificial intelligence, and noted that a House amendment removed an original mandatory minimum jail term, leaving sentencing to the courts. No public testimony was offered on the bill. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 150 would prohibit civil arrests inside courthouses and certain Department of Labor proceedings, with the sponsor arguing that such arrests deter people from coming to court or seeking protection; the bill would allow criminal arrests and civil arrests only with advance written notice. No testimony was taken on that measure. Senate Bill 284, the First State Emergency Responders Act, would create a narrowly tailored offense for intentionally approaching within 25 feet of first responders at emergency scenes after crossing a barrier or ignoring warnings, if done to interfere, threaten, or harass. Supporters, including police, fire service, and sportsmen’s groups, said it would protect responders and preserve emergency operations, while the Office of Defense Services opposed it on First Amendment and overbreadth grounds, arguing existing laws already cover much of the conduct. Senate Bill 304 would amend Delaware’s safe school zone law to allow private schools to use trained, vetted sentries or similar security arrangements; supporters said it would give smaller private schools an affordable safety option, while the sponsor said the bill needed more work and should not move forward yet. The committee also heard Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 314, which would clarify how courts handle evidence that a sexual assault complainant previously made a false allegation; DOJ and ODS said the substitute reflects a consensus approach, and YWCA Delaware supported it as a survivor-protective reform. Finally, Senate Bill 343 would expand methods for serving child support respondents in Family Court by authorizing service through certified mail and carriers such as USPS, UPS, and FedEx, addressing cases where people avoid in-person service using doorbell cameras and other technology. The Division of Child Support Services supported the bill as a practical update that would improve timeliness while preserving proof-of-delivery safeguards. At the end of the meeting, a motion was made and seconded, and the chair adjourned the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• One in every 400 workers, possibly.
• One in every 400 workers, possibly.
• Postal Service.
• Postal Service.
• Born into slavery, US Postal Service.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill tries to protect certain workers from the impact of ever-changing Department of Labor independent
• This bill tries to protect certain workers from the impact of ever-changing Department of Labor independent
• Instead of once again picking winners and losers, deciding which workers deserve exemptions...
• Once again, picking winners and losers, deciding which workers deserve an exemption, we should be fixing
• Postal Service postmarks and their effect on mail-in ballots, directs the Secretary of State to evaluate

Transcript Highlights:

• testifying on behalf of the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity, a group of hundreds of healthcare workers
• to protect themselves and their communities from preventable illness so that they may be active co-workers
• , teachers, students, office clerks, postal service workers, delivery workers, health care workers, and
• to protect themselves and their communities from preventable illness so that they may be active co-workers
• , teachers, students, office clerks, postal service workers, delivery workers, health care workers, and

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Summary: The committee held a lengthy hybrid hearing of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, with testimony spanning local board training, animal welfare and enforcement, municipal charters, water district dissolution, and other home rule matters. Chairs Rausch and Lewis set strict time limits because of the large number of speakers and explained that written testimony would also be accepted. Members heard from local officials, advocates, municipal employees, and residents, with many bills receiving broad support from municipal and advocacy witnesses. Several speakers supported bills requiring or expanding training for local boards and commissions, including pre-service training for planning, zoning, and other land use boards. Supporters said training would help volunteers understand complex laws, improve consistency, reduce legal challenges, and speed up housing and development decisions. Related testimony also backed a bill to modernize historic district commissions and another to allow associate planning board members to serve more broadly when needed to maintain quorums. A major portion of the hearing focused on animal legislation. Witnesses supported bills to expand citations for cruel conditions beyond dogs, update dangerous dog procedures, improve animal health inspections and breeder oversight, strengthen tethering rules, and protect pet consumers. Animal control officers, humane organizations, and some victims of dog attacks described enforcement gaps and the need for clearer standards, while several dog trainers and the American Kennel Club opposed parts of the dangerous dog bill and tethering restrictions, arguing they would limit humane training tools and professional discretion. The committee also heard strong support for a bill to create a statewide pet shop and consumer protection framework. The committee also heard testimony on several local home rule petitions. Medford officials and residents strongly supported a new city charter that would replace the current at-large council with ward-based representation and periodic charter review. Wayland representatives supported a bill to preserve the library’s Millennium Fund as intended, Cambridge officials backed creation of an employment and job training trust, and Carver officials supported dissolving the North Carver Water District due to compliance and financial problems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and follow-up materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• Postal inspectors receive constant calls from local law enforcement... calls from local law enforcement
• and postal customers all the time, asking for assistance with mail theft and bank fraud related to those
• Postal inspectors, and this is what led to the... inspectors, and this is what led to the creation of
• So you know, specifically, the example that I have of where we worked with a Postal Inspector is... there

Bills: SB76 , SB35 , SB116 , SB119 , SB118 , SB129 , SB32 , SB31 , SB115 , SB75 , HB27 , HB40

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: jury duty, nursing mothers, exemption, legal rights, parental responsibilities, sexual extortion, criminal law, felony, threat, blackmail, SB116, machine gun conversion devices, switches, pistol conversion device, auto sear, firearm accessories, machine gun, automatic weapon, semiautomatic pistol, gun control

Transcript Highlights:

• were going to be assured that they are going to be counted by the canvassing board because of our postal
• That they are going to be counted by the canvassing board because of our postal service issues here,
• And then it creates a lot of uncertainties when the postal service isn't consistent. Madam Chair.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Summary: The State and Local Government Committee met to reconsider and amend House Bill 1165, which dealt with petition circulation requirements and ballot receipt rules. The committee walked through technical changes requested by the Secretary of State’s office, including moving petition-title language, adding a 15-business-day submission deadline for petition packets, and revising language related to mailed absentee ballots and the presidential executive order requiring ballots to be received by election day rather than merely postmarked. The State Election Director explained that the change was intended to provide clarity and consistency for voters and election officials, while Senator Braunberger objected that it was an unnecessary reaction to an executive order that could be challenged. The committee adopted the amendment 5-1 and then passed the bill as amended on a 5-1 vote, with Senator Braunberger voting no. The committee then took up House Bill 1307, which concerned election authority, home rule powers, and related city and county petition/signature provisions. After questions from members and clarification from the Deputy Secretary of State and a League of Cities representative, the committee agreed the amendment was intended to preserve city petition power and align the bill with changes made in another election bill, while also addressing park district language. The amendment was adopted 6-0, and the bill was passed as amended 6-0. Senator Castaneda was designated as the carrier. Finally, the committee discussed House Bill 1580, a study bill on state employee compensation. Members used language from an earlier draft tied to health plan changes and broadened it to study total rewards compensation, including pay grades, classifications, comparisons among state employees across departments and with similar private-sector jobs, equity funding and bonuses, prevailing wages on state projects, and the impact of changes to health plan benefits and premium structures. The committee agreed to make the language more generic and adopted the amendment 6-0, then passed the bill as amended 6-0. House Bill 1601 was not acted on and was held until after floor session so members could continue discussions and await additional input.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Transportation Workers Union, which represents 1,500 Amtrak service workers, called these bonuses
• The Transportation Workers Union, which represents 1,500 Amtrak service workers, called these bonuses
• These include teachers, mail carriers, firefighters, police officers, librarians, postal workers, locomotive
• <07:16:15.440><c> workers</c><07:16:15.840><c> locomotive</c><07:16:16.360><c> Engineers</c> postal workers
• locomotive Engineers postal workers locomotive Engineers School<07:16:17.160><c> Cooks</c><07:16:17.680

Bills: HR31 , HR152 , HR192 , HR144 , HR189 , HR164 , HR153

Keywords: committee appointments, House of Representatives, government structure, legislative process, membership, committee assignments, elections, legislation, government, oversight, US-Canada relations, economic security, energy security, bipartisan, trade and investment, Ramadan, faith, Islam, community, charitable contributions

Transcript Highlights:

• for the purposes of prevailing wage and workers' compensation.
• perform the covered finishing work are covered employees for the purposes of prevailing wage and workers
• disease claim for PTSD and also provides a rebuttable presumption for those workers.
• have it yet because there may be pension costs related to LEOFF or PERS if L&I determines that a worker
• is disabled under workers' comp, and the Department of Retirement Systems looks to that.

Bills: SB6290 , SB6282 , SB5379 , SB6197 , SB6158 , SB6302 , SB5882 , SB6303 , SB6180 , SB6195 , SB6196 , SB6204 , SB6287

Committee: Senate Labor & Commerce

Keywords: liquor regulation, cannabis board, reorganization, state agency, governance, apprenticeship, behavioral health, construction trades, workforce training, wellness, interest arbitration, parks and recreation, public employees, labor relations, employee rights, SB 6197, plumbing contractor, plumber, contractor licensing, licensing enforcement

Bills: HB227 , HB255 , HB465 , HB472 , HB482 , HB483 , HB526 , HB529 , HB484

Committee: House Ways and Means General Fund

Keywords: firefighter benefits, occupational disease, line of duty, disability pension, death benefits, retirement benefits, hypertension, heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer presumption, HIV, hepatitis, municipal firefighters, state firefighters, fire districts, workers' compensation, public safety employees, post-retirement benefits, benefit eligibility cutoff, occupational illness

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been getting letters, snail mail letters delivered by unionized postal workers from New England
• I've been getting letters, snail mail letters delivered by unionized postal workers from New England
• My name is Janice Kelby, and I'm a retired postal worker.
• Most postal workers join a union, but not all.
• Most postal workers join a union, but not all.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Transcript Highlights:

• First, the United<04:47:09.200><c> States</c><04:47:09.440><c> Postal</c><04:47:09.840><c> Service</c
• ><04:47:10.160><c> is</c><04:47:10.400><c> now</c> United States Postal Service is now United States
• </c><04:47:22.160><c> must</c> Postal Service Inspector General must Postal Service Inspector General
• It's all backwards, and it puts America and America's workers backwards.
• It's all backwards, and it puts America and America's workers backwards.

Bills: HB7006 , HR992

Keywords: appropriations, national security, foreign aid, transparency, democracy, House Resolution 992, H.Res. 992, HR 992, rule resolution, procedural rule, Rules Committee, Committee of the Whole, previous question, motion to recommit, waiver of points of order, closed rule, structured rule, FY2026 appropriations, consolidated appropriations, federal spending

Transcript Highlights:

• additional costs, tenants not properly receiving notices, as well as administrative burden with the postal
• additional costs, tenants not properly receiving notices, as well as administrative burden with the postal
• And, as I mentioned, it's not working for the postal service.
• However, this is a violation of the United States Postal Service's mailing standards, as they cannot

Bills: HB1974 , HB2265 , HB2452

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation, deed restriction, affordability covenant, property tax exemption, excise tax exemption, predevelopment

Transcript Highlights:

• I very much support workers and workers' rights, but this is a very, very, very narrow way to address
• </c> Let's pay workers what they are owed. Let's pay workers what they are owed.
• So uh those are the postal service.
• </c> with workers compensation insurance. with workers compensation insurance.
• This has them under uh workers comp.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you say that this protects the worker, do you not think that unions protect workers?
• They often bring in out-of-state workers. They have project-based hires.
• When you say that this protects the worker, do... You do not think that unions protect workers?
• It does not restrict Workers from unionizing at all.
• the country for workers' comp.

Bills: SB65 , SB248 , SB330 , SB378 , SB844 , SB1330 , SB1410 , SB1475 , SB1476 , SB1565 , SB1618 , SB1623 , SJR39 , SJR47 , SB2084 , SB1655 , SB1679 , SB2174 , SB1775 , SB1873 , SB1204 , SB1884 , SB1916 , SB1937 , SB1447 , SB1500 , SB2007 , SB2074 , SB1944 , SB2018 , SB1984 , SB2026 , SB2045 , SB2049 , SB2062 , SB2112 , SB2118 , SB2127 , SB2134 , SB2135 , SB2139 , SB2154 , SB1195

Keywords: SB65, naloxone, Narcan, opioid overdose, overdose reversal, opioid antagonist, emergency opioid antagonist, substance abuse services, harm reduction, public health, overdose prevention, good samaritan, civil immunity, criminal immunity, controlled substances, addiction treatment, fentanyl, opioid crisis, school overdose response, first aid

Bills: SB65 , SB248 , SB330 , SB378 , SB844 , SB1330 , SB1410 , SB1475 , SB1476 , SB1565 , SB1618 , SB1623 , SJR39 , SJR47 , SB2084 , SB1655 , SB1679 , SB2174 , SB1775 , SB1873 , SB1204 , SB1884 , SB1916 , SB1937 , SB1447 , SB1500 , SB2007 , SB2074 , SB1944 , SB2018 , SB1984 , SB2026 , SB2045 , SB2049 , SB2062 , SB2112 , SB2118 , SB2127 , SB2134 , SB2135 , SB2139 , SB2154 , SB1195

Keywords: SB65, naloxone, Narcan, opioid overdose, overdose reversal, opioid antagonist, emergency opioid antagonist, substance abuse services, harm reduction, public health, overdose prevention, good samaritan, civil immunity, criminal immunity, controlled substances, addiction treatment, fentanyl, opioid crisis, school overdose response, first aid

Transcript Highlights:

• We know we've done it for postal workers before, human rights, DHR employees, teachers, and things of
• We know we've done it for postal<00:10:12.480><c> workers</c><00:10:12.800><c> before,</c><00:10:13.839
• ><c> uh,</c><00:10:14.000><c> human</c><00:10:14.399><c> rights,</c> postal workers before, uh, human
• rights, postal workers before, uh, human rights, uh,<00:10:15.600><c> you</c><00:10:15.680><c> know,

Committee: House Judiciary