Grant in Aid Funding Bill is Signed

A quiet, uneventful June 30 concluded the first half of the 2021-22 Legislative Session without much fireworks or late night legislating. The House and Senate passed House Bill 265, the Fiscal Year 2022 grant funding package, unanimously, and it was immediately signed by Governor Carney. This $63.2 million grant package provides funding to fire companies, ambulance services, senior centers, veterans’ organizations, and other community groups that provide invaluable services to the people of Delaware.  This bill directs funding to 39 new nonprofit agencies and community organizations that were not included in last year’s legislation. 

The annual Grants-in-Aid legislation allocates funding to dozens of nonprofits across the state engaged in everything from substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling to arts programming, historic preservation, and emergency services. 

Notable items in the grant-in-aid bill include: 

•  $19.3 million for organizations that provide services to Delawareans in the areas of health, substance abuse treatment, the arts, tourism and community services 
• $13.9 million to support county paramedic services, plus $3 million in one-time funding to improve or enhance paramedic substations 
• $9 million for Delaware senior centers 
• 3% funding increases for volunteer fire companies, including $7 million to support the operation of volunteer fire company trucks, ambulances and rescue boats 
• $2.7 million for the Clean Slate Act Contingency 
• $500,000 for a new primary care provider loan reimbursement program 
• $300,000 for a new mental health services loan repayment program for college students 
• $90,000 for the Korey Thompson emergency student housing fund 

House Bill 265 Sponsors	Yes Votes	No Votes
Carson, Bentz, Bolden, K.Williams, Briggs King, Hensley	House Passed 41-0. Baumbach Bennett Bentz Bolden Brady Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Heffernan K.Johnson K.Williams Kowalko Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Mitchell Morrison Osienski S.Moore Schwartzkopf Wilson-Anton Briggs King Collins D.Short Dukes Gray Hensley M.Smith Morris Postles Ramone Shupe Smyk Spiegelman Vanderwende Yearick	None
Paradee, Ennis, Lockman, Sturgeon, Lawson, Lopez	Senate Passed 21-0. Brown Ennis Gay Hansen Lockman Mantzavinos Paradee Pinkney Poore S.McBride Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh Bonini Hocker Lawson Lopez Pettyjohn Richardson Wilson	None
Current Status	Signed by the Governor

“We were fortunate this year to be able to produce a very robust Grant-in-Aid package that helps support many of the organizations that form the bedrock of our communities across the state,” said Rep. Bill Carson, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, which drafts the grants-in-aid bill. “The resources in this bill are going to do a lot of good for a lot of people.” 

“This legislation will provide much-needed support to our nonprofit community, which was dealt a serious fundraising blow by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said JFC co-chair Sen. Trey Paradee. “From fire companies and paramedic services to shelters, substance abuse services and community arts organizations, these organizations deliver invaluable services to our most vulnerable neighbors and give us an unbelieve return on our investment. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the Joint Finance Committee for allocating this year’s Grants-in-Aid in a responsible manner that will benefit thousands of Delaware families.”