Senate adopts consent resolutions on military families, health awareness and agriculture; declares Health Workforce Well‑Being Day

The Delaware Senate on March 18 passed a set of ceremonial and awareness resolutions on a consent calendar and separately approved a House concurrent resolution recognizing a Health Workforce Well‑Being Day of Awareness.

Senate consent calendar number 6, read by title and presented by Senator Lockman, included six Senate concurrent resolutions: SCR 20 (encouraging the governor to light landmarks purple for military-connected students), SCR 22 (recognizing March 20 as colorectal cancer awareness day in Delaware), SCR 26 (recognizing March 16–22 as National Agriculture Week in Delaware), SCR 27 (recognizing March 18, 2025 as National Youth Heart Screening Day in Delaware), SCR 28 (recognizing March 2025 as kidney awareness month) and SCR 29 (recognizing National Public Defense Day). The Senate recorded a roll call of 19 yes and 2 absent on the consent calendar and declared calendar number 6 passed.

Later in the session, the Senate considered House Concurrent Resolution 18, which recognizes March 18, 2025 as the inaugural Health Workforce Well‑Being Day of Awareness. Senator Pinkney floor-managed the measure and invited health‑care workforce representatives into the chamber. Christopher Otto, Executive Director of the Delaware Nurses Association, spoke in support of the resolution, describing workforce strain and elevated suicide risk among health professionals and urging coordinated action: “We must collaborate … because our state's health won't improve until the health of our state's healthcare workforce improves,” he told the chamber. The Senate recorded a roll call of 18 yes and 3 absent on HCR 18 and declared it passed.

The resolutions on the consent calendar are symbolic recognitions rather than binding policy changes; sponsors used the floor time to highlight the matters’ local significance — for example, SCR 20’s request that the governor work with state agencies to illuminate landmarks for military-connected students and SCR 26’s emphasis on agriculture’s economic value and preservation programs. HCR 18’s supporters emphasized workforce well-being amid burnout and staffing shortages in health care and asked colleagues to recognize and support provider well‑being efforts.

Votes at a glance

- Senate consent calendar number 6 (SCR 20, SCR 22, SCR 26, SCR 27, SCR 28, SCR 29): Passed — roll call 19 yes, 2 absent. - House Concurrent Resolution 18 (Health Workforce Well‑Being Day of Awareness): Passed — roll call 18 yes, 3 absent.

These measures were adopted on the floor March 18 and are primarily ceremonial acknowledgements and awareness actions intended to raise public attention.