Delaware 150th General Assembly (2019-2020) Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 10 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 63 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE EQUAL ACCOMMODATIONS LAW.

Last action — Signed by Governor

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 09, 2019. Enacted.

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.

  • 16 sponsors

    4 primary, 12 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (10 D · 1 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

The Delaware Equal Accommodations Law, Chapter 45 of Title 6 of the Delaware Code, prevents discrimination against people because of their race, age, marital status, creed, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. This Act enhances the protections under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law by prohibiting retaliatory discrimination against an individual for either of the following: (1) Opposing an act or practice that is an unlawful practice under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law. (2) Making a charge, testifying, assisting, or participating in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing to enforce the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

11 added · 68 removed

11 line(s) added, 68 removed.

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Latest
Delcollo & Sen.
Delcollo DELAWARE STATE SENATE 150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE AMENDMENT NO.
Hansen & Rep.
1 TO SENATE BILL NO.
Griffith & Rep.
63 AMEND Senate Bill No.
Lynn Sens.
63 on line 42 by inserting ", being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, director, supervisor, superintendent, agent, or employee of any place of public accommodation," after "person" and before "may" therein.
Paradee, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend;
SYNOPSIS This Amendment adds language to make clear that "person" applies to the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, director, supervisor, superintendent, agent, or employee of any place of public accommodation.
Reps.
This change is consistent with similar existing law provisions in the Act.
Baumbach, Brady, Chukwuocha, Heffernan, Mitchell, Ramone, Seigfried, Michael Smith DELAWARE STATE SENATE 150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE BILL NO.
Author:
63 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE EQUAL ACCOMMODATIONS LAW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1.
Amend § 4504, Title 6 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§ 4504.
Unlawful practices.
(a)(1) No person being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, director, supervisor, superintendent, agent, or employee of any place of public accommodation, may directly or indirectly refuse, withhold from, or deny to any person, on account of race, age, marital status, creed, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, any of the accommodations, facilities, advantages, or privileges thereof.
(2) A place of public accommodation may provide reasonable accommodations based on gender identity in areas of facilities where disrobing is likely, such as locker rooms or other changing facilities, which reasonable accommodations may include a separate or private place for the use of persons whose gender-related identity, appearance or expression is different from their assigned sex at birth, provided that such reasonable accommodations are not inconsistent with the gender-related identity of such persons.
(3) A place of public accommodation must permit service animals as follows:
a.
An individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal in any place of public accommodation.
b.
An individual training a service animal to be used by persons with disabilities accompanied by a service animal in any place of public accommodation.
(b) No person, being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent or employee of any place of public accommodation, shall directly or indirectly publish, issue, circulate, post or display any written, typewritten, mimeographed, printed or radio communications notice or advertisement to the effect that any of the accommodations, facilities, advantages and privileges of any place of public accommodation shall be refused, withheld from or denied to any LC :
MJC :
CM Page 1 of 3 Released:
04/03/2019 12:39 PM person on account of race, age, marital status, creed, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin, or that the patronage or custom thereat of any person belonging to or purporting to be appearing to be of any particular race, age, marital status, creed, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin is unlawful, objectionable, or not acceptable, desired, accommodated or solicited, or that the patronage of persons of any particular race, age, marital status, creed, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin is preferred or is particularly welcomed, desired or solicited.
(c) It shall be unlawful to assist, induce, incite or coerce another person to commit any discriminatory public accommodations practice prohibited by subsection (a) or (b) of this section.
(d) Requirements for newly constructed places of public accommodation.
— All buildings which are constructed after January 1, 2011, and intended for use as places of public accommodation (as defined in § 4502 of this title), must be equipped with an automatic door or calling device at each entrance that is intended to be a main entrance accessible by members of the general public.
For purposes of this subsection, a calling device shall mean any device that allows a person with a disability to request assistance with entry meeting the following minimum specifications:
(1) The device must provide a recognizable signal inside the place of public accommodation;
(2) The device must be capable of being operated using only 1 hand or limb;
(3) The device must have at least 1 sign next to it which identifies the device and how to use it;
and (4) The device must be capable of being operated in accordance with all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act [42 U.S.C.
§ 12101 et seq.] Accessibility Guidelines.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as an abrogation of any requirements otherwise imposed by applicable federal or state laws or regulations.
(f) A person may not engage in an act or practice that is unlawful under subsections (a) through (d) of this section against an individual because the individual has done one of the following:
(1) Opposed an act or practice that is unlawful under subsections (a) through (d) of this section.
(2) Made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing to enforce subsections (a) through (d) of this section.
SYNOPSIS The Delaware Equal Accommodations Law, Chapter 45 of Title 6 of the Delaware Code, prevents discrimination against people because of their race, age, marital status, creed, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.
This Act enhances the protections under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law by prohibiting retaliatory discrimination against an individual for either of the following:
(1) Opposing an act or practice that is an unlawful practice under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law.
Show all 47 changed rows (7 more)
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(2) Making a charge, testifying, assisting, or participating in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing to enforce the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law.
LC :
MJC :
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04/03/2019 12:39 PM Author:
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04/03/2019 12:39 PM 4801500025
05/09/2019 11:23 AM 4801500074
View plain text versions (2)

Action History

  1. Signed by Governor

  2. Passed By House. Votes: 41 YES

  3. Reported Out of Committee (Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce) in House with 7 On Its Merits

  4. Assigned to Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee in House

  5. Passed By Senate. Votes: 16 YES 5 ABSENT

  6. Amendment SA 1 to SB 63 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 16 YES 5 ABSENT

  7. Reported Out of Committee (Banking, Business & Insurance) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits

  8. Introduced and Assigned to Banking, Business & Insurance Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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4 sponsors · 12 co-sponsors · 46 not signed on

Sponsors (4)

Not signed on (46)

46 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 46 →

"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 41 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 17000
Democratic 12000
Republican 12000
Total 41000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (41)
Member Party Vote
Andria L. Bennett — Yea
David Bentz — Yea
Earl G. Jaques Jr. — Yea
Gerald L. Brady — Yea
John A. Kowalko — Yea
John J. Viola — Yea
John L. Mitchell — Yea
Michael Ramone — Yea
Paul S. Baumbach — Yea
Peter C. Schwartzkopf — Yea
Quinton Johnson — Yea
Raymond Seigfried — Yea
Ruth Briggs King — Yea
Sean Matthews — Yea
Sherry Dorsey Walker — Yea
Stephen Smyk — Yea
Valerie Longhurst — Yea
Debra Heffernan Democratic Yea
Edward S. Osienski Democratic Yea
Franklin D. Cooke Democratic Yea
Kendra Johnson Democratic Yea
Kimberly Williams Democratic Yea
Krista Griffith Democratic Yea
Melissa Minor-Brown Democratic Yea
Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha Democratic Yea
Sean M. Lynn 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 Yea
Daniel B. Short 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 Yea
Ronald E. Gray Republican Yea
Shannon Morris Republican Yea
Timothy D. Dukes Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SM

Passed 16 Yea · 0 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 6001
Democratic 7002
Republican 3002
Total 16005
% of votes cast 76%0%0%24%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Anthony Delcollo — Yea
Bruce C. Ennis — Yea
Catherine Cloutier — Yea
Colin Bonini — Yea
David B. McBride — Yea
Ernesto B Lopez — Not Voting
Harris B. McDowell — Yea
Bryan Townsend Democratic Not Voting
Darius J. Brown Democratic Yea
David P. Sokola Democratic Yea
John "Jack" Walsh Democratic Yea
Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic Yea
Nicole Poore Democratic Yea
S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic Not Voting
Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic Yea
Trey Paradee Democratic Yea
Brian Pettyjohn Republican Yea
Bryant L. Richardson Republican Not Voting
Dave G. Lawson Republican Not Voting
David L. Wilson Republican Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 63 do?
The Delaware Equal Accommodations Law, Chapter 45 of Title 6 of the Delaware Code, prevents discrimination against people because of their race, age, marital status, creed, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. This Act enhances the protections under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law by prohibiting retaliatory discrimination against an individual for either of the following: (1) Opposing an act or practice that is an unlawful practice under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law. (2) Making a charge, testifying, assisting, or participating in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing to enforce the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law.
Who sponsors SB 63?
SB 63 is sponsored by Michael F. Smith (Republican), Debra Heffernan (Democratic), Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha (Democratic), Bryan Townsend (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), Krista Griffith (Democratic), Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Trey Paradee (Democratic), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), Ray Seigfried (Democratic), Anthony Delcollo, Paul S. Baumbach, Gerald L. Brady, John L. Mitchell, and Michael Ramone.
What is the current status of SB 63?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 09, 2019. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 63?
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