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SB254 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE FARMLAND VALUATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE FARMLAND VALUATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

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Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Last action
2026-04-22
Official status
Assigned to Agriculture Committee in House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Act to Change the State Farmland Valuation Advisory Committee

This act changes how the State Farmland Valuation Advisory Committee works by adding more members and requiring them to review their valuation methods every two years.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the number of voting members on the committee from 3 to 7.
  • Adds 3 non-voting members who are officials from New Castle, Kent, and Sussex County Assessment Divisions.
  • Requires the Delaware State Department of Finance to provide staff support for the Committee.
  • Makes the Committee review its valuation formula every two years to ensure it is fair and up-to-date.
  • Ensures that the valuation formula uses at least 20 years of land value data.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The State Farmland Valuation Advisory Committee
  • Farmers and landowners in Delaware

Terms To Know

valuation formula
A method used to determine the fair value of farmland, horticultural land, and forestry land.
non-voting member
A person who is part of a committee but does not have the right to vote on decisions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the new members will be chosen.
  • It's unclear what specific changes might be made in future reviews of the valuation formula.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SA 1

1 • Hoffner

Passed

Plain English: Passed 1 by Hoffner

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
SA 2

2 • Pettyjohn

Stricken

Plain English: Stricken 2 by Pettyjohn

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
SA 3

3 • Pettyjohn

Passed

Plain English: Passed 3 by Pettyjohn

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-22 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Agriculture Committee in House

  2. 2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 2 to SB 254 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  3. 2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 3 to SB 254 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  4. 2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 1 to SB 254 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  5. 2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 2 to SB 254 - Stricken in Senate

  6. 2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 3 to SB 254 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  7. 2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  8. 2026-04-16 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Agriculture) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits

  9. 2026-03-23 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 1 to SB 254 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  10. 2026-03-09 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Agriculture Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE FARMLAND VALUATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
This Act increases the voting membership of the State Farmland Advisory Committee from 3 members to 7 members. The Act also adds 3 non-voting members to the Committee who are officials with the Assessment Divisions/Departments of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties. The Delaware State Department of Finance shall provide reasonable staff support to assist the Committee in performing its duties. The Committee shall, at least once every 2 years, review its valuation formula and methodology utilized to determine the ranges of fair values for agricultural, horticultural, and forestry land and make such changes and revisions as are required to ensure that the objectives of the Act are met. The formula used by the Committee shall be based on not less than the preceding 20 years of land values. The Committee must publish an annual report containing its determinations and any review of its farmland valuation formula and methodology.