HB 141 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FAMILY COURT PROCEDURE.
Last action — Signed by Governor
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed House
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✓Passed Senate
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 13, 2017. Enacted.
Odds of enactment
High chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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9 sponsors
2 primary, 7 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (3 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.
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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 authorizes the Family Court to interview a child outside the presence of the parties for the purpose of obtaining the child's testimony and ascertaining the truth of a matter asserted by a party to a Protection from Abuse proceeding. The Court may permit counsel to be present during the interview and ask the child questions. The Court may also permit a party who is not present for the interview to submit questions of fact for the Court to use in interviewing the child. Interviews under this Act must be made a part of the record.
Bill Text
- Bill Text View text Current pdf
Action History
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Signed by Governor
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Judicial & Community Affairs) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Judicial & Community Affairs Committee in Senate
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Passed By House. Votes: 38 YES 3 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 1 Favorable, 8 On Its Merits
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Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House
Sponsors
- Sean M. Lynn · Primary
- Stephanie L. Hansen · Cosponsor
- Gerald W. Hocker · Cosponsor
- Edward S. Osienski · Cosponsor
- Michael Mulrooney · Cosponsor
- Sean Matthews · Cosponsor
- John A. Kowalko · Cosponsor
- Helene M. Keeley · Cosponsor
- Margaret Rose Henry · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →2 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 53 not signed on
Sponsors (2)
- Sean M. Lynn Democratic
- Margaret Rose Henry
Co-sponsors (7)
- Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic
- Gerald W. Hocker Republican
- Edward S. Osienski Democratic
- Michael Mulrooney
- Sean Matthews
- John A. Kowalko
- Helene M. Keeley
Not signed on (53)
53 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 53 →"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.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (21)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Delcollo | — | Yea |
| Brian J. Bushweller | — | Yea |
| Bruce C. Ennis | — | Yea |
| Catherine Cloutier | — | Yea |
| Colin Bonini | — | Yea |
| David B. McBride | — | Yea |
| Ernesto B Lopez | — | Yea |
| F. Gary Simpson | — | Yea |
| Gregory F. Lavelle | — | Yea |
| Harris B. McDowell | — | Yea |
| Margaret Rose Henry | — | Yea |
| Robert Marshall | — | Yea |
| Bryan Townsend | Democratic | Not Voting |
| David P. Sokola | Democratic | Yea |
| John "Jack" Walsh | Democratic | Yea |
| Nicole Poore | Democratic | Yea |
| Stephanie L. Hansen | Democratic | Yea |
| Brian Pettyjohn | Republican | Yea |
| Bryant L. Richardson | Republican | Yea |
| Dave G. Lawson | Republican | Yea |
| Gerald W. Hocker | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 22 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Democratic | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 93% | 0% | 0% | 7% |
How each member voted (41)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HB 141 do?
- This Act authorizes the Family Court to interview a child outside the presence of the parties for the purpose of obtaining the child's testimony and ascertaining the truth of a matter asserted by a party to a Protection from Abuse proceeding. The Court may permit counsel to be present during the interview and ask the child questions. The Court may also permit a party who is not present for the interview to submit questions of fact for the Court to use in interviewing the child. Interviews under this Act must be made a part of the record.
- Who sponsors HB 141?
- HB 141 is sponsored by Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Gerald W. Hocker (Republican), Edward S. Osienski (Democratic), Michael Mulrooney, Sean Matthews, John A. Kowalko, Helene M. Keeley, and Margaret Rose Henry.
- What is the current status of HB 141?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 13, 2017. Enacted.
- Where can I track HB 141?
- Track HB 141 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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