Delaware 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026) Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 12 D · 6 R cosponsors

HB 23 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 AND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

Last action — Signed by Governor

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 19, 2024. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Matt Meyer (Democratic) on May 07, 2025.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 98% · high confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 18 sponsors

    18 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (12 D · 6 R) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

This Act makes the following changes to human trafficking law: (1) It adds “patronizing a victim of sexual servitude” and “ trafficking of persons for use of body parts” to the offenses that may serve as a predicate for forfeiture of property under the trafficking statute. (2) It removes an obsolete reference to charging a minor with delinquency for engaging in prostitution. The Criminal Code was revised in 2019 to define prostitution as a crime that may be committed only by a person who is 18 years of age or older. (3) It adds conduct constituting a human trafficking offense to the list of conduct that constitutes “abuse” for purposes of obtaining a protective order in Family Court.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Signed by Governor

  2. Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 2 ABSENT

  3. Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 3 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits

  4. Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate

  5. Passed By House. Votes: 35 YES 6 ABSENT

  6. Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 3 Favorable, 5 On Its Merits

  7. Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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18 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 44 not signed on

Sponsors (18)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (44)

44 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 44 →

"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

SM

Passed 19 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 14001
Republican 5001
Total 19002
% of votes cast 90%0%0%10%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Bryan Townsend Democratic Yea
Daniel Cruce Democratic Yea
Darius J. Brown Democratic Not Voting
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 Not Voting
David L. Wilson Republican Yea
Eric Buckson Republican Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SM

Passed 35 Yea · 0 Nay · 6 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 22004
Republican 13001
Unaffiliated 0001
Total 35006
% of votes cast 85%0%0%15%
How each member voted (41)
Member Party Vote
Stell Parker Selby — Not Voting
Claire Snyder-Hall Democratic Yea
Cyndie Romer Democratic Yea
DeShanna U Neal Democratic Not Voting
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 Not Voting
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 Not Voting
Sophie Phillips Democratic Yea
Stephanie T. Bolden Democratic Yea
William Bush Democratic Not Voting
William J. Carson Democratic Yea
Bryan W. Shupe Republican Yea
Charles S Postles Jr. Republican Yea
Daniel B. Short Republican Yea
Jeff Hilovsky Republican Yea
Jeffrey N. Spiegelman Republican Yea
Jesse R. Vanderwende Republican Yea
Kevin S Hensley Republican Yea
Lyndon D. Yearick Republican Yea
Michael F. Smith Republican Yea
Richard G. Collins Republican Not Voting
Ronald E. Gray Republican Yea
Shannon Morris Republican Yea
Timothy D. Dukes Republican Yea
Valerie Jones Giltner Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
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Frequently asked questions

What does HB 23 do?
This Act makes the following changes to human trafficking law: (1) It adds “patronizing a victim of sexual servitude” and “ trafficking of persons for use of body parts” to the offenses that may serve as a predicate for forfeiture of property under the trafficking statute. (2) It removes an obsolete reference to charging a minor with delinquency for engaging in prostitution. The Criminal Code was revised in 2019 to define prostitution as a crime that may be committed only by a person who is 18 years of age or older. (3) It adds conduct constituting a human trafficking offense to the list of conduct that constitutes “abuse” for purposes of obtaining a protective order in Family Court.
Who sponsors HB 23?
HB 23 is sponsored by Claire Snyder-Hall (Democratic), David L. Wilson (Republican), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Dave G. Lawson (Republican), Cyndie Romer (Democratic), Franklin D. Cooke (Democratic), William Bush (Democratic), Daniel B. Short (Republican), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Mara Gorman (Democratic), Bryant L. Richardson (Republican), Nicole Poore (Democratic), Michael F. Smith (Republican), Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Kimberly Williams (Democratic), and Melanie Ross Levin (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 23?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 19, 2024. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 23?
Track HB 23 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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