Senate passes oversight name change, DDDS reporting requirement and updates to game-and‑fish law

The Delaware Senate passed three bills that adjust committee structure, increase reporting requirements for developmental-disability services and modernize game-and-fish statutes.

House Bill 287 updates the statutory name of the existing committee to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee; sponsors said the change is administrative and does not alter the committee’s authority to review or sunset entities. Senator Hoffner described the measure as a ‘‘simple cleanup’’ and said it preserves oversight and sunset powers. The Senate approved HB 287 on a roll-call vote of 19 yes and 2 absent.

House Bill 288 requires the Division of Developmental Disability Services to produce an annual report detailing system size and growth, service usage, provider capacity and gaps, the sponsor said. Senator Hoffner emphasized the bill aims to improve transparency and accountability, not to cut services; the Senate recorded 20 yes and 1 absent and declared HB 288 passed to the Senate.

House Bill 278, sponsored from Fish and Wildlife and presented by Senator Pennington, revises game-and-fish law to align species classifications with current wildlife management (removing some hares and adding skunks and weasels), updates allowable hunting ammunition and clarifies Sunday-hunting rules while maintaining local control for landowners and agencies. The Senate discussed local-control provisions and then passed the bill by roll call (19 yes, 2 absent).

All three bills were read by title on the floor, sponsors answered brief questions and the Senate recorded the votes that carried the measures.