# Delaware SB 59: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY RATES.

Delaware SB 59, AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY RATES., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) Senate bill sponsored by Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-07-16 (Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB59-153
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Delaware SB 59
- State: Delaware
- Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026)
- Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY RATES.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-02-21
- Last action: 2025-07-16, Signed by Governor
- Sponsor: Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 25
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (58 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- New ways to set utility bills: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Delaware's Public Service Commission can use alternatives to its usual investment-and-return rate rules. Options include performance incentives, profit sharing, price caps, price indexing, service-based pricing groups, and different returns for different services. Alterna…
- Utilities must justify costs in bills: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Delaware utilities must prove proposed and existing rates are fair, reasonable, and based on prudent spending. This replaces the earlier emphasis on business judgment. The Public Service Commission judges spending using what the utility knew or reasonably should have know…
- New cost rules for water bills: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Delaware water utilities get full recovery of reasonable, prudent construction costs through customer rates. Eligible facilities serve current customers or customers reasonably expected within three years after the Commission recognizes the investment. The Commission must…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Eric Buckson (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Frank Burns (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: William Bush (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: William J. Carson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Mara Gorman (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Krista Griffith (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kerri Evelyn Harris (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Debra Heffernan (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Gerald W. Hocker (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kyra L. Hoffner (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kimberly Williams (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Larry Lambert (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Spiros Mantzavinos (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Eric Morrison (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: DeShanna U Neal (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Sophie Phillips (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Marie Pinkney (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ray Seigfried (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Claire Snyder-Hall (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: David P. Sokola (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Bryan Townsend (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-06-26 | House | Passed (SM required) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-20 | Senate | Passed (SM required) | pass | 19 | 0 |   |

## Actions (7)

- 2025-07-16: Signed by Governor (Governor)
- 2025-06-26: Passed By House. Votes: 39 YES 1 ABSENT 1 VACANT (House)
- 2025-04-09: Reported Out of Committee (Natural Resources & Energy) in House with 9 On Its Merits, 1 Unfavorable (House)
- 2025-03-25: Assigned to Natural Resources & Energy Committee in House (House)
- 2025-03-20: Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 2 ABSENT (Senate)
- 2025-03-12: Reported Out of Committee (Environment, Energy & Transportation) in Senate with 5 Favorable (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: Introduced and Assigned to Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee in Senate (Senate)

## Bill text

- Current, 2025-02-21: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=141866&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2)

## Related bills

- HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST LICENSURE ACT. (passed house)
- HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS. (signed)
- SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. (vetoed)
- SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (vetoed)
- HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed)
- HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND EQUIPMENT. (failed)

## Sources
- [Current (HTML)](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=141866&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2)

## Related
- [HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HS1FORHB449-153)
- [HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB357-153)
- [SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB231-153)
- [SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB279-153)
- [HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB393-153)
- [HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB356-153)
- [Delaware bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware/bills)
- [Delaware state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB59-153 (as of 2026-10-19).