HS1FORHB2 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DEATH BENEFITS.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Carson
Last action: 2026-01-08
Official status: House Appropriations 1/8/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DEATH BENEFITS.

What This Bill Does

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DEATH BENEFITS.
Like House Bill No.
2, House Substitute No.
1 for HB 2 makes technical corrections to § 5546 of Title 29 and increases from $7,000 to $8,000, both of the following: • The amount of the burial benefit under the State Employees’ Pension Plan.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-08 Delaware General Assembly
Adopted in lieu of the original bill HB 2, and Assigned to Appropriations Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DEATH BENEFITS.
Like House Bill No. 2, House Substitute No. 1 for HB 2 makes technical corrections to § 5546 of Title 29 and increases from $7,000 to $8,000, both of the following:
• The amount of the burial benefit under the State Employees’ Pension Plan.
• The amount paid for funeral expenses for a member of a volunteer fire company, volunteer fire company ladies auxiliary, or a volunteer ambulance and rescue company.

HS 1 for HB 2 differs from HB 2 because it changes the effective date to October 1, 2026, and because the enactment of Senate Bill No. 28 (85 Del. Laws, c. 215) on September 9, 2025, included all of the following:
• The technical revisions to § 6750 of Title 18 that were also included in Section 2 of HB 2.
• The transfer of § 6750 of Title 18 to § 6701A of Title 18, which was also included in House Amendment No. 1 to HB 2.
• The enactment of § 6701A of Title 18, which was also included in HA 1 to HB 2.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Carson & Sen. Brown

Reps. Cooke, Gray, Lambert; Sens. Hoffner, Huxtable, Poore, Walsh

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE NO. 1

FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 2

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DEATH BENEFITS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 6701A, Title 18 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 6701A. Funeral expenses for deceased volunteer firefighters.

(a) The funeral expenses of a deceased member of a volunteer fire company, volunteer fire company ladies auxiliary, or volunteer ambulance and rescue company must be paid in the amount of

$7,000.

$8,000.

Section 2. Amend § 5546, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 5546. Burial benefits.

(a)

Upon

the death of an individual receiving a pension under this chapter the sum of

$7,000 shall

$8,000 must

be paid from the Fund to a designated beneficiary

or,

in the absence of a designated

beneficiary

beneficiary,

the amount of this benefit

shall

must

be paid to the deceased pensioner’s estate.

Section 3. This Act takes effect on October 1, 2026.

SYNOPSIS

Like House Bill No. 2, House Substitute No. 1 for HB 2 makes technical corrections to § 5546 of Title 29 and increases from $7,000 to $8,000, both of the following:

• The amount of the burial benefit under the State Employees’ Pension Plan.

• The amount paid for funeral expenses for a member of a volunteer fire company, volunteer fire company ladies auxiliary, or a volunteer ambulance and rescue company.

HS 1 for HB 2 differs from HB 2 because it changes the effective date to October 1, 2026, and because the enactment of Senate Bill No. 28 (85 Del. Laws, c. 215) on September 9, 2025, included all of the following:

• The technical revisions to § 6750 of Title 18 that were also included in Section 2 of HB 2.

• The transfer of § 6750 of Title 18 to § 6701A of Title 18, which was also included in House Amendment No. 1 to HB 2.

• The enactment of § 6701A of Title 18, which was also included in HA 1 to HB 2.