Center for Disabilities Studies

In a reversal, the U.S. Treasury Department said it will not require those receiving Social Security benefits to file a tax return if they have not done so in 2018 or 2019 in order to receive a coronavirus stimulus payment. The stimulus legislation signed into law by President Trump explicitly grants Treasury permission to use information from multiple federal databases to determine where and how to distribute the money. Questions still exist over how to reach individuals whose addresses are not on record and those with no access to the internet.

Delaware public school officials expressed concern that remote learning may not offer all the necessary services to provide legally-mandated free appropriate public education to students with disabilities, potentially exposing school districts to lawsuits. While the state and federal education departments have promised to be “flexible” toward districts having trouble providing some special education services, their guidance does not amount to legal immunity.

Starting today, DART will allow 12–18 passengers on standard buses, depending on the vehicle’s size, and five passengers on paratransit buses. Fares will not be collected.

State lawmakers are urging the passage of a bill allowing Delawareans to vote by mail-in ballot in this year’s primary and general elections. While there is currently not a target date set to reconvene the General Assembly, Rep. Gerald Brady says the state constitution’s annual budget requirement will force legislators to reconvene before June 30, at which time he expects bipartisan support for vote-by-mail legislation.

A coronavirus relief fund administered by the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) with support from other groups is offering grants to Delaware nonprofits. The grants are awarded to organizations encountering increased demand for services; modifying their service delivery models due to the pandemic; or facing extreme financial difficulty due to closures, cancellations and other fallout.