Committee adopts Mini Bond Bill, moves $7 million to veterans cemetery expansion

The committee adopted House Bill 270, a so‑called Mini Bond Bill that reallocates existing appropriations and makes technical changes to Delaware law, the chair announced after a committee vote on Jan. 23. The motion to adopt the bill carried with five votes in favor and one member recorded as absent.

Controller General presented the draft to the committee, saying the document was the same version members received by email with only a few minor additions. "This is the same bill that you received in your emails yesterday," the Controller General said, and then outlined major provisions.

The bill transfers $7,000,000 previously allocated for a Department of Labor Sussex facility into funding for expansion of the Delaware Veterans Cemeteries at Behr and Millsboro, "We are transferring that $7,000,000 to the Delaware Veterans Cemetery expansion," the Controller General said. Other reassignments include use of residual funds from the Troop 6 project for Delaware State Police firing range improvements and an additional $600,000 for the Brandywine Zoo to create a mixed‑species exhibit.

House Bill 270 also lists numerous local transportation and capital projects requested by legislators, including parking lot paving for an American Legion post, playground equipment in Ardentown, security cameras for Delmar Police, signage for Indian River School District at Sussex Central, and sidewalk and drainage work in Smyrna and Georgetown.

Several technical and codifying changes are included: adjustments to language in stationary source reporting (changing 'and' to 'or' for propane or ammonium nitrate); a correction to the historic tax credit amount in Delaware code (changed from $5,000,000 to $8,000,000 to match previously approved budget bills); and codifying an earlier epilogue for the Red Clay Consolidated School District so that buses equipped with operating stop‑arm cameras are not required to activate amber warning lamps for 10 seconds prior to red stop lamps.

The bill directs the Diamond State Port Corporation, in consultation with DelDOT, to study the feasibility, costs and impacts of limiting or redirecting truck traffic onto Hay Road when entering and exiting the Edgemoor Port Terminal; a written report is required to the Controller General, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the co‑chairs of the Bond Bill Committee by Jan. 1, 2027.

The committee vote was taken after the Controller General finished the presentation and no questions were offered. The chair moved to adopt the bill "as presented today," a second was recorded, and the chair announced the result as "5 yes, 1 absent." The chair then declared the Mini Bond Bill adopted.

The committee was told the bill will first be heard in the House next week and was reminded of the capital budget hearing dates (April 27–30).