DOVER — A bill that would provide economic relief to hundreds of thousands of Delaware residents was filed in the House of Representatives Friday.

The 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program was announced last week and would provide each Delaware taxpayer with a one-time direct payment of $300. Residents who filed personal income tax returns for the 2020 tax year — plus adult residents who did not — are eligible, and the rebate would not be subject to state tax.

Under House Bill 360, the one-time installment intends to offset recent economic hardships and relieve the financial burden many Delawareans are facing.

Those who filed 2020 income taxes would receive the monies without taking any action. For those approximately 600,000 residents, the rebates would be distributed within six weeks after the bill is signed into law.

HB 360 also instructs the Department of Finance to establish a process to provide the rebate to adults who did not file a state income tax return in 2020. Databases from other agencies will be used to identify these residents, who would then receive the rebate.

Should eligible residents not be identified, the Department of Finance and the Department of Technology & Information will implement procedures to determine their identity and eligibility.

As a part of the economic recovery from the pandemic, the state is expected to experience a budget surplus of $1 billion, which will be allocated to fund capital improvement projects as part of the 2023 Bond Bill. Legislators decided that, aside from those capital initiatives, the surplus could be allocated evenly amongst Delaware taxpayers.

HB 360 has been assigned to the House Administration Committee and will be heard in committee Wednesday.