General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday, April 23, 2026

It’s more challenging writing an interesting legislative piece on Thursdays.  Little, other than committee hearings, happens on Wednesdays.  And there are no committee meetings on Thursdays.  Basically, the agendas are pretty much the only items worth discussing today.  Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.

Thankfully, there are some substantive (if not universally desirable) bills for us to chew over.  Today’s Senate Agenda features Delaware’s rush to get deeper into the crypto game. in the respective forms of SS1/SB 16  and SS2/SB 19, both sponsored by Sen. Mantzavinos.  In classic fashion, the fiscal notes feature the bills’ relatively modest costs.  As to the revenue generated?  “Indeterminable”.  The Delaware Way folks behind the bill clearly believe that it’s gonna be a bleepload.  As in:

This Act provides authorization for the State Bank Commissioner (the “Commissioner”) to establish a schedule of fees for applications, license renewals, examination costs, registrations, and other regulatory functions, as the Commissioner determines appropriate, after the promulgation of regulations in relation to the provisions of the Delaware Code established by this Act.

At the time of issuance of this fee impact statement, the schedule of fees and the number of entities that may apply for service or be impacted by a schedule of fees after the final regulations to implement this Act have been promulgated are unknown. Therefore, the additional revenue is indeterminable.

The key bill on today’s House Agenda is HB 400 (Harris), which ‘alters various fees assessed by the Delaware Secretary of State. The Act provides that most changes to the fees will take effect on August 1, 2026, however changes to the partnership, limited partnership, and limited liability company annual tax and changes to the annual tax on registered series of limited partnerships and limited liability companies will take effect on January 1, 2026.’  Annual revenue to be derived from this bill projects to be around $142 mill.  You may note that no Rethugs are on the bill as co-sponsors.  The D sponsors are either in leadership and/or co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee.  Does that mean that Rethugs don’t want to fund the items that would have to be cut from the budget were these funds not available?  Guess we’ll find out today.

We also have the proposed codification of the DEFAC Committee.  My take?  Pass it as soon as possible so that I never have to hear the phrase ‘DuPont-Cook’ ever again.  You wanna define the term ‘The Delaware Way’?  You can begin and end with the term ‘DuPont-Cook’.

With that, I’ll end right there.