Advocacy in Action

January 31, 2022

The 151st General Assembly is in the second half of its two-year cycle and here are a few legislative proposals we are actively working:

SB1 - Healthy Delaware Families Act:

The bill would create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program. This latest version has undergone substantial revisions from the original bill that was introduced last year. The bill provides up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for workers at companies with 10 or more employees and up to 6 weeks of paid medical and family caregiving leave for workers at companies with 25 or more employees. Employers with 25 or more employees are required to provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave and up to 6 weeks paid medical and family caregiving leave. Employers with 10 or more employees but less than 25 are only required to provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. View the summary >

State Chamber Position: Opposed and working to amend
Status: Released from the Senate Health and Social Services Committee and heads to the Senate for a full vote.

HB 262 - Data Brokers and Consumer Protections:

Representative Krista Griffith’s proposal would provide consumers with information on how their personal information is being used by data brokers. The State Chamber worked with Rep. Griffith to clarify the definition of data broker to ensure the bill only applies to data sellers and not collectors. The bill also contains a private right of action and we’re engaged in conversations with the sponsor to have it removed. View the amendment >

State Chamber Position: Opposed and working to amend
Status: Released from the House Technology Committee and is headed over to the House for a full vote.

HB 305 - Legalization of Marijuana:

The Delaware Marijuana Control Act legalizes the use of recreational marijuana. This bill is the updated version of HB 150, which was introduced last year, and includes no immunity from liability and spot test for impairment. The Delaware Manufacturing Association (DMA) expressed concerns with regards to employee safety and ensuring workers are not incapacitated while on the job. Section 1305 regarding places of employment has been removed from the bill. The bill still includes a social equity piece. View it here>

State Chamber Position: Opposed and working to amend
Status: Released from the House Health and Human Development Committee and is on its way to the House for a full vote.

View Our Bill Tracker

News You Can Use

The last day of January gets started with late morning speeches by the San Francisco Fed and Kansas City Fed presidents. On Tuesday, we’ll see December results for construction spending, overall job openings, and job quits. Wednesday brings us the January ADP employment report and Q4 homeownership rate. December factory orders and January jobless claims are public on Thursday. We finish the week on Friday with unemployment figures for January.

Companies with earnings calls this week include Ryanair Holdings and Cirrus Logic today. Alphabet, PayPal, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Chubb, Electronic Arts, GM, and UPS host calls tomorrow. AbbVie, Aflac, Meta Platforms, T-Mobile, and Novo Nordisk host calls on Wednesday. Ford and Amazon lead the list of key calls on Thursday, along with Merck, Ralph Lauren, and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). I might just dial-in to that one to see what the heck they talk about! Air Products & Chemicals, Eaton, and Sanofi are among the companies with calls on Friday.

Michael J. Quaranta

President

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

The Athlete Book games the career-building process by bringing together educators, employers, and brands, creating a single-touchpoint process for the professional development of elite athletes.