# Delaware SS 1 for SB 17: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10, TITLE 11, AND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CRIME VICTIMS AND WITNESSES. Delaware SS 1 for SB 17, AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10, TITLE 11, AND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CRIME VICTIMS AND WITNESSES., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) Senate bill sponsored by Bryan Townsend (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-08-20 (Signed by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SS1FORSB17-153 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Delaware SS 1 for SB 17 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10, TITLE 11, AND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CRIME VICTIMS AND WITNESSES. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-05-07 - Last action: 2025-08-20, Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Bryan Townsend (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 12 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (57 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 22 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Immigration safeguards for victims and witnesses: benefit, medium. Delaware officers cannot detain crime victims solely because of an actual or suspected immigration violation. They cannot transfer victims to federal immigration authorities without a judicial warrant or valid court order. For crime witnesses and people who can provide evidence, officers cannot det… - More victim input before and after sentencing: benefit, medium. Presentence officers must reasonably try to speak with victims and record when victims are unavailable or decline. Victims can speak at sentencing and address parole or pardon boards in writing or in person. Victim-impact statements are required before sentencing for felonies, specified drug offens… - Safer court access for witnesses with disabilities: benefit, medium. Witnesses with cognitive disabilities get understandable court explanations, plus information for them and their families about suitable services and programs. Courts and prosecutors must take steps toward prompt trials and consider the effects of delay. Courts must provide a separate, secure waiti… - Safer court visits for victims and witnesses: benefit, medium. Agencies must tell victims how to respond to threats, intimidation, or harassment and obtain pretrial-release information. Courts must offer victims a separate, secure waiting area when available and practical, or provide other safeguards to reduce contact. Victims and witnesses attending court can… - Victims and trial witnesses join pardon hearings: benefit, medium. When a pardon application is filed, the Justice Department and Superior Court must notify victims and qualifying prosecution trial witnesses. Notices give the hearing's date, time, and place; recipients can testify or submit a written statement before the hearing. Qualifying witnesses exclude polic… - More flexible funeral help for crime victims: benefit, medium. Eligible crime-victim compensation covers funeral and burial expenses up to a combined, one-time limit of $7,500. This replaces separate limits of $5,000 for funeral expenses and $2,500 for burial expenses, without increasing the total limit. Costs must be necessary and actually incurred because of… - Job protections for victims attending proceedings: benefit, medium. Employers cannot fire or discipline crime victims or their representatives for covered preparation or attendance at proceedings. Preparation must be requested by a prosecutor. Attendance must be reasonably needed to protect the victim’s interests or required by a subpoena. The protection covers pro… - Child witnesses get faster trials: benefit, low. Child witnesses have a right to an expedited trial. The law especially emphasizes cases involving child abuse or child sexual abuse. It sets no specific trial deadline. - Clearer rights and service information for victims: benefit, low. At first contact, investigating agencies must promptly give reported-crime victims the initial incident report and explain their rights. Agencies must explain services, compensation, arrest and release information, threats or custody-condition violations, and complaint procedures. The Justice Depar… - Faster trials and clearer help for victims: benefit, low. Victims have the right to speak with the prosecutor, and courts must consider victims’ interest in a speedy case. Courts must speed up trials for child victims, especially in child-abuse and child-sexual-abuse cases. For victims with cognitive disabilities, courts and prosecutors must take steps to… - More case and release notices for victims: benefit, low. Victims receive important case and custody updates; the Justice Department must make reasonable attempts to provide applicable notices. These include decisions not to prosecute and their legal basis, hearings, sentences, appeals, post-conviction matters, and the right to consult prosecutors. In fel… - More privacy for victims and witnesses: benefit, low. Agencies generally cannot disclose victims', witnesses', or their families' home addresses, phone numbers, schools, or workplaces. Witness and witness-family identities are also protected. Covered information is not a public record, and courts face limits on requiring location information on the re… - Sex-offense victims cannot face required polygraphs: benefit, low. Officials cannot ask or require alleged sex-offense victims to take a polygraph or other truth-telling test as an investigation condition. If an official violates this rule, the victim's refusal cannot block investigation, charges, or prosecution. - Victims and witnesses get property back promptly: benefit, low. Law-enforcement agencies must promptly return victims' and witnesses' property once it is no longer needed as evidence. This does not cover illegal property or property subject to forfeiture. The law sets no exact return deadline or payment amount. - Victims attend proceedings with more support: benefit, low. Victims can attend all stages of proceedings and receive prompt notice of dates, times, and places unless they opt out. They can bring family or a chosen support person, unless exclusion is needed to protect a fair trial. For victims with cognitive disabilities, support people can advise the judge… - Victims review their own body-camera statements: benefit, low. Victims can review the portions of police body-camera recordings containing their own statements. Police standards must include this right, and the responsible commission must review and update policies. The review right does not cover every part of a recording. - Neighborhood associations lose drug-case victim status: cost, low. The law repeals the provision giving qualifying neighborhood and homeowners' associations victim status in neighborhood illegal-drug cases. Associations can no longer claim the chapter's rights, privileges, or notices through that provision. - Broader victim rights, narrower family eligibility: mixed, medium. The law covers listed violent, property, child, vulnerable-adult, court-related, release-condition, intimidation, and vehicle-causing-death offenses, plus abuse and sexual-violence protection cases. Victims include people identified in police or charging records and eligible representatives chosen… - Victims gain complaints but cannot claim damages: mixed, medium. Agencies must name a supervisor to promptly review complaints from victims, witnesses, or people acting for them. Agencies must send written findings; findings of compliance must explain how to complain to the Justice Department, which enforces the chapter. Beyond complaints, the only court remedy… - Victim parole notices change, older duties end: mixed, low. For felony convictions, the parole board must give victims or family hearing details at least 30 days ahead, unless they opt out. People receiving hearing notices must also receive the board's decision. Anyone missed by required notice can request postponement to attend or submit a statement, cappe… - Victims choose contact methods and update details: mixed, low. Victims can choose or change their preferred contact method, including no contact; agencies must follow that preference when possible. Victims must tell agencies when their contact information changes. Officials can provide required information verbally, electronically, or on paper unless a specifi… - Victims get expungement input, limited decision access: mixed, low. For discretionary expungement petitions under sections 1018 and 4374, the Attorney General must contact victims and include known views in the court answer. The section 1018 rule covers qualifying juvenile violent-felony matters that did not end in the child's favor. For section 4374 petitions, vic… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bryan Townsend (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Krista Griffith (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Larry Lambert (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Spiros Mantzavinos (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: DeShanna U Neal (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Sophie Phillips (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Marie Pinkney (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Nicole Poore (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Cyndie Romer (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-26 | House | Passed (SM required) | pass | 38 | 2 | | | 2025-05-22 | Senate | Passed (SM required) | pass | 19 | 0 | | ## Actions (11) - 2025-08-20: Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2025-06-26: Passed By House. Votes: 38 YES 2 NO 1 VACANT (House) - 2025-06-26: Amendment HA 1 to SS 1 - Defeated In House by Voice Vote (House) - 2025-06-26: Amendment HA 1 to SS 1 - Introduced and Placed With Bill (Senate) - 2025-06-25: Reported Out of Committee (Appropriations) in House with 4 On Its Merits (House) - 2025-06-20: Assigned to Appropriations Committee in House (House) - 2025-06-18: Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 8 On Its Merits (House) - 2025-06-05: Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House (House) - 2025-05-22: Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 2 ABSENT (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Reported Out of Committee (Finance) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Adopted in lieu of the original bill SB 17, and Assigned to Finance Committee in Senate (Senate) ## Bill text - Current, 2025-05-07: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=142220&legislationTypeId=6&docTypeId=2) ## Related bills - HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST LICENSURE ACT. (passed house) - HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS. (signed) - SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (vetoed) - HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed) - SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. (vetoed) - HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND EQUIPMENT. (failed) ## Sources - [Current (HTML)](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=142220&legislationTypeId=6&docTypeId=2) ## Related - [HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HS1FORHB449-153) - [HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB357-153) - [SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB279-153) - [HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB393-153) - [SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB231-153) - [HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB356-153) - [Delaware bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware/bills) - [Delaware state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SS1FORSB17-153 (as of 2026-10-12).