Delaware 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026) Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 16 D · 5 R cosponsors

SB 240 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 23 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CLASSES OF PILOTS' LICENSES.

Last action — Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced February 26, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · high confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 24 sponsors

    24 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (16 D · 5 R) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

This bill raises the draft limit for sixth class pilots in Delaware from 27 to 29 feet.

The bill amends Delaware's pilot licensing laws to allow sixth class pilots to manage deeper vessels, reflecting modern shipping needs. It also includes technical corrections to align existing law with drafting standards.

Summary

This Act amends Title 23 of the Delaware Code to increase the maximum draft limit applicable to sixth class pilots from 27 feet to 29 feet, enabling the safe pilotage of deeper-draft vessels and aligning pilotage standards with modern shipping practices. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

25 added · 11 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to SB 240 changes the maximum draft limit for sixth class pilots from 27 feet to 29 feet, which allows for the pilotage of deeper-draft vessels. This aligns pilotage standards with current shipping practices. Additionally, the amendment includes technical corrections to ensure consistency with the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual and adds instructional language to clarify the bill's text.

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Previous
Latest
Rep.
Sen.
Berry HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE AMENDMENT NO.
Huxtable & Rep.
1 TO SENATE BILL NO.
Berry & Rep.
240 AMEND Senate Bill No.
Harris Sens.
240 by inserting the following before line 1:
Brown, Buckson, Cruce, Hansen, Hocker, Hoffner, Lawson, Lockman, Mantzavinos, Paradee, Pettyjohn, Pinkney, Poore, Richardson, Seigfried, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend, Walsh, Wilson;
"Section 1.
Reps.
Amend § 112, Title 23 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:".
Osienski, D.
FURTHER AMEND Senate Bill No.
Short DELAWARE STATE SENATE 153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE BILL NO.
240 on line 2 by deleting "(a) " as it appears therein.
240 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 23 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CLASSES OF PILOTS' LICENSES.
SYNOPSIS This amendment adds instructional language and fixes a technical error.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
HD :
§ 112 Classes of licenses.
KL :
(a) Six classes of licenses shall be granted:
SCD Page 1 of 1 Released:
(1) First class, to persons capable of piloting ships or vessels of any practical draft of water;
06/16/2026 10:36 AM 0281530215
water.
(2) Second class, to persons capable of piloting ships or vessels drawing 45 feet of water or under;
under.
(3) Third class, to persons capable of piloting ships or vessels drawing 40 feet of water or under;
under.
(4) Fourth class, to persons capable of piloting ships or vessels drawing 35 feet of water or under;
under.
(5) Fifth class, to persons capable of piloting ships or vessels drawing 32 feet of water or under;
and under.
(6) Sixth class, to persons capable of piloting ships or vessels drawing 27 29 feet of water or under.
SYNOPSIS This Act amends Title 23 of the Delaware Code to increase the maximum draft limit applicable to sixth class pilots from 27 feet to 29 feet, enabling the safe pilotage of deeper-draft vessels and aligning pilotage standards with modern shipping practices.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Author:
Senator Huxtable SD :
FJM :
ALW Page 1 of 1 Released:
02/25/2026 11:09 AM 2711530174
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (2)

Action History

  1. Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  2. Passed By House. Votes: 38 YES 3 ABSENT

  3. Amendment HA 1 to SB 240 - Passed In House by Voice Vote

  4. Amendment HA 1 to SB 240 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  5. Reported Out of Committee (Transportation) in House with 9 On Its Merits

  6. Assigned to Transportation Committee in House

  7. Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  8. Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 5 Favorable

  9. Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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24 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 38 not signed on

Sponsors (24)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (38)

38 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 38 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

3/4

Passed 21 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 15000
Republican 6000
Total 21000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Bryan Townsend Democratic Yea
Daniel Cruce Democratic Yea
Darius J. Brown Democratic Yea
David P. Sokola Democratic Yea
John "Jack" Walsh Democratic Yea
Kyra L. Hoffner Democratic Yea
Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic Yea
Marie Pinkney Democratic Yea
Nicole Poore Democratic Yea
Ray Seigfried Democratic Yea
Russell Huxtable Democratic Yea
S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic Yea
Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic Yea
Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic Yea
Trey Paradee Democratic Yea
Brian Pettyjohn Republican Yea
Bryant L. Richardson Republican Yea
Dave G. Lawson Republican Yea
David L. Wilson Republican Yea
Eric Buckson Republican Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SM

Passed 38 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 27000
Republican 11003
Total 38003
% of votes cast 93%0%0%7%
How each member voted (41)
Member Party Vote
Alonna Berry Democratic Yea
Claire Snyder-Hall Democratic Yea
Cyndie Romer Democratic Yea
DeShanna U Neal Democratic Yea
Debra Heffernan Democratic Yea
Edward S. Osienski Democratic Yea
Eric Morrison Democratic Yea
Frank Burns Democratic Yea
Franklin D. Cooke Democratic Yea
Josue O Ortega Democratic Yea
Kamela T Smith Democratic Yea
Kendra Johnson Democratic Yea
Kerri Evelyn Harris Democratic Yea
Kimberly Williams Democratic Yea
Krista Griffith Democratic Yea
Larry Lambert Democratic Yea
Madinah Wilson-Anton Democratic Yea
Mara Gorman Democratic Yea
Melanie Ross Levin Democratic Yea
Melissa Minor-Brown Democratic Yea
Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha Democratic Yea
Sean M. Lynn Democratic Yea
Sherae'a Moore Democratic Yea
Sophie Phillips Democratic Yea
Stephanie T. Bolden Democratic Yea
William Bush Democratic Yea
William J. Carson Democratic Yea
Bryan W. Shupe Republican Yea
Charles S Postles Jr. Republican Not Voting
Daniel B. Short Republican Yea
Jeff Hilovsky Republican Yea
Jeffrey N. Spiegelman Republican Yea
Jesse R. Vanderwende Republican Not Voting
Kevin S Hensley Republican Not Voting
Lyndon D. Yearick Republican Yea
Michael F. Smith Republican Yea
Richard G. Collins Republican Yea
Ronald E. Gray Republican Yea
Shannon Morris Republican Yea
Timothy D. Dukes Republican Yea
Valerie Jones Giltner Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SM

Passed 21 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 15000
Republican 6000
Total 21000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Bryan Townsend Democratic Yea
Daniel Cruce Democratic Yea
Darius J. Brown Democratic Yea
David P. Sokola Democratic Yea
John "Jack" Walsh Democratic Yea
Kyra L. Hoffner Democratic Yea
Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic Yea
Marie Pinkney Democratic Yea
Nicole Poore Democratic Yea
Ray Seigfried Democratic Yea
Russell Huxtable Democratic Yea
S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic Yea
Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic Yea
Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic Yea
Trey Paradee Democratic Yea
Brian Pettyjohn Republican Yea
Bryant L. Richardson Republican Yea
Dave G. Lawson Republican Yea
David L. Wilson Republican Yea
Eric Buckson Republican Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

transportation
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 240 do?
This Act amends Title 23 of the Delaware Code to increase the maximum draft limit applicable to sixth class pilots from 27 feet to 29 feet, enabling the safe pilotage of deeper-draft vessels and aligning pilotage standards with modern shipping practices. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Who sponsors SB 240?
SB 240 is sponsored by Stell Parker Selby, Daniel B. Short (Republican), Edward S. Osienski (Democratic), David L. Wilson (Republican), John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Bryan Townsend (Democratic), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Ray Seigfried (Democratic), Bryant L. Richardson (Republican), Nicole Poore (Democratic), Marie Pinkney (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Trey Paradee (Democratic), Spiros Mantzavinos (Democratic), Josue O Ortega (Democratic), Dave G. Lawson (Republican), Claire Snyder-Hall (Democratic), Melanie Ross Levin, Franklin D. Cooke (Democratic), Darius J. Brown (Democratic), Kerri Evelyn Harris (Democratic), Russell Huxtable (Democratic), and Sarah McBride.
What is the current status of SB 240?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced February 26, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track SB 240?
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