This Week in Dover

By Evan R. Park
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As the 153rd General Assembly inches toward its close on June 30, several bills are moving that could have a meaningful impact on Delaware businesses. Here's what the Delaware State Chamber is supporting:

Innovation and Small Business Funding
Senate Bill 315, sponsored by Sen. Darius Brown, would allow the Division of Small Business to provide matching grants to Delaware small businesses that receive federal SBIR or STTR awards, a potential boost for homegrown research, development, and commercialization efforts. The bill has already passed the Senate.

House Bill 211, introduced by Rep. Bill Bush, would create a tax credit for business accelerators to incentivize the growth of innovative companies in Delaware. Eligible recipients could reduce their tax burden by up to 50%, with the program administered by the Division of Revenue. As of yesterday, this bill is out of the House Appropriations committee. 

Child Care and Workforce
House Bill 447, sponsored by House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, would coordinate state-level planning around child care affordability, including voluntary cost-sharing among the state, employers, and families. For businesses struggling with workforce recruitment and retention, expanded access to affordable child care could be a valuable tool. HB 447 voted out of the Senate Education committee today. 

Housing and Land Use
Senate Bill 23, sponsored by Sen. Russ Huxtable, aims to increase Delaware's housing supply, a key factor in attracting and retaining workers. This is now out of the House Housing committee. 

House Substitute 1 for House Bill 450, or the ROAD-DE Act, is being led by Rep. Bill Bush and would overhaul Delaware's land-use permitting process, building on Gov. Matt Meyer's Permitting Accelerator initiative to address regulatory delays affecting jobs, housing, and infrastructure projects. This bill is also out of the House Appropriations committee. 

Real Estate Transfer Tax Relief
Two bills, House Bill 416 and House Bill 286, propose reductions to Delaware's realty transfer tax.

​House Bill 416, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams, would reduce the statewide rate from 3% to 2%, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

House Bill 286, introduced by Rep. Lyndon Yearick, would provide targeted relief for residential properties by eliminating the state transfer tax on homes valued at $350,000 or less and phasing in reductions for properties valued up to $500,000.

Environmental Permitting and Compliance
House Bill 456, sponsored by Rep. Cyndie Romer, would streamline DNREC's subaqueous lands permitting process by adding exemptions, expanding the use of general permits, and establishing processing timelines, a welcome change for businesses navigating waterfront or coastal projects. This bill passed the house and is waiting for consideration from the Senate Environment, Energy, & Transportation committee. 

House Bill 402, sponsored by Rep. Debra Heffernan at the request of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, would reauthorize Clean Air Act Title V operating permit fees through 2029 while updating the fee structure for facilities operating under air quality permits. The bill made it out of the Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation committee last week. 

House Substitute 1 to House Bill 407, also sponsored by Rep. Heffernan, would clarify and expand DNREC's authority to respond to environmental emergencies and recover associated costs.

We will continue monitoring and advocating for these bills as they advance. If you have any questions about any of these bills or more, feel free to email me at [email protected]. 

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