6/8/26 Legislative Update

During the week of June 8, the legislature finds itself addressing a wide array of topics in its work, several of which hold importance for the working families and people of Delaware. Some of the bills working their way through committee in the House are as follows.

SB 272 – Sponsored by Jack Walsh, SB 272 requires that if public works project is for a school district and has an aggregate cost of $1 million or more, a contract relating to that public works project, advertised after December 31, 2026, must include a project labor agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council unless there was only 1 bid for the craft under the contract.

HB 430 – Sponsored by Kerri Evelyn Harris, HB 430 would address a unique Delaware voting phenomenon that attracted national attention recently, namely that in some locales direct voting by corporations and other entities is permitted.  This bill is the first leg in developing a constitutional amendment to restrict voting in Delaware to natural persons and prohibit franchise from extending to private and nonprofit companies, organizations, etc.

HB 444 – Sponsored by WFP Champion Larry Lambert, HB 444 would establish a “Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act” to combat potential voting discrimination and voter suppression and dilution.  It would allow election policies and processes approved by the General Assembly or local political subdivisions to be invalidated if found in violation of the state constitution.  HB 444 also would direct the Department of Elections to provide one or more languages other than English for providing assistance where substantial need exists.

HB 451 – Sponsored by Kendra Johnson, HB 451 would prohibit public housing practices that have discriminatory effect (disparate impact) even if discriminatory intent was absent.  It clarifies the Delaware Fair Housing Act with this regard and defines the legal mechanism for claims to be pursued.

HB 453 – Sponsored by Nnamdi Chukwuocha, HB 453 would prohibit price discrimination based on automated decision making systems that harvest and utilize personal data and behavior patterns.

SB 292 – Sponsored by Stephanie Hansen, SB 292 would amend the Delaware landlord-tenant code to alter how landlords can and cannot work with tenants whose rent is paid from state funds for their reentry into society.  Landlords would be required to assist such tenants with discharge plans prior to termination of their leases.

You can view the full House agenda here.

Make Your Voice Heard

See below for some of the most notable bills in committee this week and how to give public comment. For length and clarity, we are only putting bills that need the most public input below. Bills in green are bills we generally support, bills in red are bills we generally oppose, and bills in yellow are neutral or unknown. 

You can also check here for the full list of committee meetings and click “view” next to each meeting for the full agenda and additional information.

Bills the Week of 6/8:

Bill #	Sponsor	Summary/Description	Committee and Sign-Up
SB 272	Walsh	Project Labor Agreements for school district public work projects costing $1 million or more. This Act requires that if public works project is for a school district and has an aggregate cost of $1 million or more, a contract relating to that public works project, advertised after December 31, 2026, must include a project labor agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council unless there was only 1 bid for the craft under the contract.	House Labor Wed, 6/10/26 11:30 AM House Chamber 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Zoom link
HB 451	K. Johnson	Clarification of Delaware Fair Housing Act. Prohibits public housing practices that have discriminatory effect (disparate impact) even if lacking discriminatory intent.	House Housing Tue, 6/9/26 10:00 AM House Majority Hearing Room (H217) 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Zoom link
SB 292	Hansen	Amendment of Landlord-Tenant Code. Mandates that landlords who receive rent from state funds for the reentry of the tenants must assist with discharge plans prior to termination of their leases.	House Housing Tue, 6/9/26 10:00 AM House Majority Hearing Room (H217) 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Zoom link
HB 453	Chukwuocha	Prohibition of surveillance-based price discrimination. Prohibits use of automated decision systems to set individualized consumer prices based on personal data and behavior patterns.	House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance and Commerce Tue, 6/9/26 11:30 AM House Majority Hearing Room (H217) 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Zoom link
HB 444	Lambert	Establishment of Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Provides legal basis for prohibiting voting discrimination and voter suppression and dilution.	House Elections and Government Affairs Wed, 6/10/26 12:30 PM House Majority Caucus Room 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Zoom link