SB 157 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO POWERS OF ATTORNEY, ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, AND THE REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES.
Last action — Signed by Governor
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed Senate
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✓Passed House
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced June 15, 2021. 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 (6 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
Delaware’s Power of Attorney statute requires a notary to verify the signature on a document. Many financial institutions have difficulty having the customer appear before a notary for that notarization. There are several electronic signature verification processes that are available to businesses. This bill would create a Power of Attorney for motor vehicle business that would allow for electronic signature verification if the verification system is acceptable to the Department. This bill will enable businesses of all sizes to accelerate document turnaround time and reduce costs, while ensuring document security and privacy. The revised bill clarifies when a power of attorney becomes valid, the duration of the power of attorney, and removes any potential conflict with an appointed guardian’s responsibilities.
Bill Text
- Bill Text View text Current pdf
Action History
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Signed by Governor
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Passed By House. Votes: 41 YES
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Suspension of Rules in House
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Reported Out of Committee (Transportation/Land Use and Infrastructure) in House with 3 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Transportation/Land Use and Infrastructure Committee in House
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Transportation) in Senate with 3 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits
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Adopted in lieu of the original bill SB 157, and Assigned to Transportation Committee in Senate
Sponsors
- Stephanie L. Hansen · Primary
- Edward S. Osienski · Primary
- Dave G. Lawson · Cosponsor
- Trey Paradee · Cosponsor
- David P. Sokola · Cosponsor
- Bryan Townsend · Cosponsor
- John "Jack" Walsh · Cosponsor
- John L. Mitchell · Cosponsor
- Paul S. Baumbach · Cosponsor
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →2 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 53 not signed on
Sponsors (2)
- Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic
- Edward S. Osienski Democratic
Co-sponsors (7)
- Dave G. Lawson Republican
- Trey Paradee Democratic
- David P. Sokola Democratic
- Bryan Townsend Democratic
- John "Jack" Walsh Democratic
- John L. Mitchell
- Paul S. Baumbach
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 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (41)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (21)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce C. Ennis | — | Yea |
| Colin Bonini | — | Yea |
| Ernesto B Lopez | — | Yea |
| Kyle Evans Gay | — | Yea |
| Sarah McBride | — | Yea |
| Bryan Townsend | Democratic | Yea |
| Darius J. Brown | Democratic | Yea |
| David P. Sokola | Democratic | Yea |
| John "Jack" Walsh | Democratic | Yea |
| Laura V. Sturgeon | Democratic | Yea |
| Marie Pinkney | Democratic | Yea |
| Nicole Poore | 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 |
| Gerald W. Hocker | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 157 do?
- Delaware’s Power of Attorney statute requires a notary to verify the signature on a document. Many financial institutions have difficulty having the customer appear before a notary for that notarization. There are several electronic signature verification processes that are available to businesses. This bill would create a Power of Attorney for motor vehicle business that would allow for electronic signature verification if the verification system is acceptable to the Department. This bill will enable businesses of all sizes to accelerate document turnaround time and reduce costs, while ensuring document security and privacy. The revised bill clarifies when a power of attorney becomes valid, the duration of the power of attorney, and removes any potential conflict with an appointed guardian’s responsibilities.
- Who sponsors SB 157?
- SB 157 is sponsored by Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Edward S. Osienski (Democratic), Dave G. Lawson (Republican), Trey Paradee (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Bryan Townsend (Democratic), John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), John L. Mitchell, and Paul S. Baumbach.
- What is the current status of SB 157?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced June 15, 2021. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 157?
- Track SB 157 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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