What’s When: Delaware State House
If you’re new to state politics, calendars can be confusing. Each state has its own quirks and deadlines, and you may find yourself closely following the slow-moving proceedings in one legislature while another is in the middle of a flurry of votes. Especially if you’re a new staffer whose experience in politics has been campaigning and/or federal government, it can take time to understand when everything happens.
This is the third installment of a series that looks at the timetables of legislative bodies and what you need to know to stay on top of events.
Here, we’ll be looking at the Delaware State House. Previously, we’ve covered the Massachusetts and Connecticut State Houses.
Year One is odd-numbered years (2021, 2023) and Year Two is even-numbered years (2022, 2024).
Two Year Cycles
The state legislature in Delaware is bicameral, composed of a 21-member State Senate and a 41-member State House of Representatives. Representatives serve two year terms and are therefore running for reelection regularly, while Senators are elected to four year terms. Senatorial elections are staggered, so approximately half of the Senate is up for reelection every two years.
Starting Year One
The Delaware General Assembly is in session over the same period each year -- that is to say, there’s no distinction between odd-numbered and even-numbered years when it comes to start and end dates. Article II of Delaware’s Constitution states that the General Assembly is to convene on the second Tuesday of January of each calendar year, and it is not to extend beyond the last day of June.
The Delaware House and Senate have similar, but not identical, committees. The House has 23 committees while the Senate has only 17, and there are 4 joint committees. Committees that are convened in both the House and Senate include topics such as Agriculture, Education, and Health, while the House has additional committees such as Natural Resources and Public Safety & National Security. The 4 joint committees are Capital Improvement, Finance, Legislative Council, and Legislative Oversight & Sunset.
Bill Deadlines
Like most legislative bodies, the Delaware General Assembly runs right up to deadlines. Up until 2020, bills could be considered and introduced up until the last day of session, which is typically June 30. So, many bills ended up being introduced and adopted during the last few days of session. It can be a real crunch time.
In 2020, however, House and Senate leadership experimented with a new rule that would mitigate this occurrence. The new rule states that June 10 is the last day for both chambers to consider bills that originate in their chamber. This deadline, which is more than 2 weeks before the end of session, ensures a less hectic end of the legislative session in Delaware.
The Budget Sprint
The Delaware State budget is annual, which means that every year the Governor and the State Assembly must decide on what should get funded and what shouldn’t. The fiscal year begins in July, so the June 30 deadline is the absolute last chance to pass a budget.
The budget, like many other states, is rather complicated in Delaware. When the fiscal year begins in July, budget guidelines are distributed to agencies and the budget process begins. Throughout the summer and fall, the Executive Branch coordinates the needs and requests of agencies, including holding public hearings, to draft the Governor’s budget.
After this flurry of activity in the Executive Branch, the Governor’s recommended budget is released in January; it must be proposed to the General Assembly on or before February 1. In February and March, the Joint Finance Committee holds public hearings, and in April and May the committee marks up the budget and holds Bond Bill hearings.
By June, bond bills have arrived in the markup stage and final budget bills are being negotiated for passage. June is always the busiest month for legislators in the state, as they race against the clock to pass the budget, bond bills, and any other bills that are still in need of a vote.
End of Year One, Year Two
Session must adjourn in Delaware on or before the last day of June, according to the State’s Constitution. Therefore, June 30 is the last possible day to adjourn, and for the past several years the legislature has done just that. Though they are technically allowed to adjourn earlier in June, the frenetic nature of budget negotiations and passing other bills makes this difficult. Starting in July, legislators are no longer bound to Dover and are free to enjoy their summer and fall how they please.
Year two is almost identical to year one. Because Delaware has an annual budgeting process, there’s no such thing as an easier year and a harder year, as both are equally busy. However, the big difference between year two and year one is the necessity to campaign for House members and half of the Senate.
The filing deadline to run for a seat occurs in July, primary elections are in September, and the general election is in November alongside Congressional races. While Representatives must run for a seat every cycle, which can be an overwhelming amount of campaigning, Senators have the relative luxury of undergoing the campaign only half the time.
Once the ballots have been tallied and Delawarians have elected their 62 representatives, governing begins again in January.
How Legislata Can Help
Legislata is a productivity software launching this month. Our team has experienced firsthand the challenges of working in the State House, and we want to help those at the frontline of government serve their constituents in ways that make everyone’s lives easier. Get in touch for information on how Legislata can work for your office.