House of Representatives Legislative Session - Session 2 - 4th Legislative Day

Tuesday, January 20, 2026·3h 29m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Delaware House advanced six legislative items on January 20, 2026, including a unanimous resolution renaming the Legislative Fellows Program in honor of Dr. Jerome R. Lewis, a bill barring AI from holding medical licenses, and a contested pet store sales ban that passed 33–4 over objections that it would not meaningfully address puppy mills.

Key Actions

·HCR 85 – Jerome R. Lewis Legislative Fellows ProgramPassed

+ 5 more actions

Controversies

HB 131 – Whether the bill would actually address puppy mills

Representative Collins argued the bill 'is not going to identify puppy mills. It's not going to do one single thing to a genuine puppy mill, nothing.' Kris Modioshi, Director of the Office of Animal Welfare, countered that the bill is 'designed to stop the cruelty where it exists, where the animals are bred, by drying up the demand for those puppies.' Representative K. Williams did not directly counter Collins's argument on the floor.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“For people like my family, it seemed like a castle on a hill, a place for people with nice suits who walked among the beautiful bricks and through regal and heavy doors and who spoke a language my family wasn't accustomed to. The Fellows Program is a key to an opportunity and a key that opens doors that may have never been open for so many of us. Otherwise, Dr. Lewis forged that key, encouraged generations to use it.”
Eric Hastings, Director of Legislative Affairs, House Majority — Hastings, a former Legislative Fellow, spoke at the podium during consideration of HCR 85, which formally renamed the Legislative Fellows Program in honor of Dr. Jerome R. Lewis.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

House Concurrent Resolution 85 – Recognizing Dr. Jerome R. Lewis and renaming the Legislative Fellows ProgramPassed

Senate Concurrent Resolution 127 – Extending the Automobile Insurance Reform Task Force reporting datePassed

House Bill 221 – Pesticides (Title 3 Amendment)Passed

Yes (34)Berry, Burns, Bush, Carson, Chukwuocha, Collins, Cook, Dukes, Gorman, Gray, Griffith, Harris, Heffernan, K. Johnson, Jones Giltner, Lambert, Lynn, S. Moore, Morrison, Morrison, Ortega, Osienski, Phillips, Postles, Romer, Ross Levin, D. Short, Shupe, Kamela Smith, Michael Smith, Snyder-Hall, K. Williams, Yearick, Madam Speaker

Absent (3)Bolden, Neal, Spiegelman

House Bill 191 – AI Entities Barred from Medical LicensurePassed

Yes (34)Berry, Burns, Bush, Carson, Chukwuocha, Collins (changed from no to yes), Cook, Dukes, Gorman, Gray, Griffith, Harris, Heffernan, K. Johnson, Jones Giltner, Lambert, Lynn, S. Moore, Morrison, Morrison, Ortega, Osienski, Phillips, Postles, Romer, Ross Levin, D. Short, Shupe, Kamela Smith, Michael Smith, Snyder-Hall, K. Williams, Yearick, Madam Speaker

Absent (3)Bolden, Neal, Spiegelman

House Bill 131 – Pet Stores: Prohibition on Dog and Cat SalesPassed

Yes (30)Berry, Burns, Bush, Carson, Chukwuocha, Cook, Dukes, Gorman, Gray, Griffith, Harris, Heffernan, K. Johnson, Jones Giltner, Lambert, Lynn, S. Moore, Morrison, Morrison, Ortega, Osienski, Phillips, Romer, Ross Levin, D. Short, Kamela Smith, Michael Smith, Snyder-Hall, K. Williams, Madam Speaker

No (3)Collins, Postles, Yearick

Absent (3)Bolden, Neal, Spiegelman

House Bill 260 – Optometrist Loan Repayment Program EligibilityPassed

Yes (35)Berry, Burns, Bush, Carson, Chukwuocha, Collins, Cook, Dukes, Gorman, Gray, Griffith, Harris, Heffernan, Hilovsky, K. Johnson, Jones Giltner, Lambert, Lynn, S. Moore, Morrison, Morrison, Ortega, Osienski, Phillips, Postles, Romer, Ross Levin, D. Short, Shupe, Kamela Smith, Michael Smith, Snyder-Hall, K. Williams, Yearick, Madam Speaker

Absent (3)Bolden, Neal, Spiegelman

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TranscriptPreview

The house will come to order. Members and guests, please take your seats and silence your cell phones. Mr. Chief clerk, are there any communications? Not at this time, madam speaker. Representative heffernan. Mark. Present. No mileage. Mrs. Heffernan from absent to present. No mileage. Representative morrison. Absent to present. No mileage. Mr. Morrison from absent to present. No mileage. Representative bush. Absent to present. Mr. Bush from absent, present. No mileage. Leader harris. Madam speaker, I move that we adjourn the current legislative day. The house stands adjourned. The house will come to order. Mr. Chief clerk, please call the roll. Mrs. Barry. Present. Mrs. Barry. Present. Ms. Bolton. Ms. Bolton. Absent. Mr. Burns. Present. Mr. Burns. Present. Mister bush. Present. Mr. Bush. Present. Mr. Carson. Mr. Carson. Present. Mr. Chukwocha. Present. Mr. Chacocha. Present. Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins. Present. Mr. Cook. Present. Mr. Cook. Present. Mr. Dukes. Mr. Duke. Saps up. Ms. Gorman. Ms. Gorman. Present. Mr. Gray. Present. Mr. Gray. Present. Mrs. Griffith. Here. Mrs. Griffith. Present. Ms. Harris. Ms. Harris. Present. Mrs. Heffernan. Mrs. Heffernan.— present. Mr. Hensley. Mr. Hensley. Present. Mr. Holofsky. Mr. Holofsky. Present. Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson. Present. Mrs. Jones. Giltner. Mrs. Jones.…

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