SB 71 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REPORTING SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY.
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 March 28, 2023. Enacted.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
HighHow often bills like it became law.
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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15 sponsors
15 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (10 D · 3 R) — cross-party backing.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 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.
Summary
This Act requires law-enforcement agencies, the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, and the Department of Justice to report suspected animal cruelty to the Office of Animal Welfare that is discovered while performing their responsibilities in child welfare cases. This Act also provides immunity to people who in good faith, report suspected animal cruelty. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Bill Text
- Bill Text View text Current pdf
AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.
This bill expands the reporting obligations of certain agencies and individuals regarding suspected animal cruelty while providing immunity for good faith reports.
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§ 906
Report any suspected animal cruelty to the Office of Animal Welfare.
Law enforcement agencies must report suspected animal cruelty they encounter during child welfare investigations.
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§ 906
Report any suspected animal cruelty to the Office of Animal Welfare.Removes prior requirement for the Department to report suspected animal cruelty.
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§ 3036F
A person who in good faith participates in reporting suspected animal cruelty has immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise exist as a result of making the report.
Establishes immunity for individuals reporting suspected animal cruelty in good faith.
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§ 3036F
The immunity provided under this section extends to the person’s participation in any judicial proceeding resulting from the good faith report of suspected animal cruelty.
Clarifies that immunity extends to judicial proceedings related to the animal cruelty report.
Action History
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Signed by Governor
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Passed By House. Votes: 38 YES 3 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Health & Human Development) in House with 3 Favorable, 6 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Health & Human Development Committee in House
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
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Reported Out of Committee (Health & Social Services) in Senate with 6 Favorable
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Introduced and Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate
Sponsors
- Daniel B. Short · Primary
- Cyndie Romer · Primary
- Darius J. Brown · Primary
- Laura V. Sturgeon · Primary
- David P. Sokola · Primary
- Bryant L. Richardson · Primary
- S. Elizabeth Lockman · Primary
- Brian Pettyjohn · Primary
- Sean M. Lynn · Primary
- Russell Huxtable · Primary
- John "Jack" Walsh · Primary
- Nicole Poore · Primary
- Stephanie L. Hansen · Primary
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf · Primary
- Paul S. Baumbach · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →15 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 47 not signed on
Sponsors (15)
- Daniel B. Short Republican
- Cyndie Romer Democratic
- Darius J. Brown Democratic
- Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic
- David P. Sokola Democratic
- Bryant L. Richardson Republican
- S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic
- Brian Pettyjohn Republican
- Sean M. Lynn Democratic
- Russell Huxtable Democratic
- John "Jack" Walsh Democratic
- Nicole Poore Democratic
- Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf
- Paul S. Baumbach
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (47)
47 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 47 →"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 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 18 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Republican | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 38 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 93% | 0% | 0% | 7% |
How each member voted (41)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (21)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Kyra L. Hoffner | Democratic | Yea |
| Laura V. Sturgeon | Democratic | Yea |
| Marie Pinkney | Democratic | Yea |
| Nicole Poore | 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 |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 71 do?
- This Act requires law-enforcement agencies, the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, and the Department of Justice to report suspected animal cruelty to the Office of Animal Welfare that is discovered while performing their responsibilities in child welfare cases. This Act also provides immunity to people who in good faith, report suspected animal cruelty. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
- Who sponsors SB 71?
- SB 71 is sponsored by Daniel B. Short (Republican), Cyndie Romer (Democratic), Darius J. Brown (Democratic), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Bryant L. Richardson (Republican), S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), Russell Huxtable (Democratic), John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Nicole Poore (Democratic), Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Peter C. Schwartzkopf, and Paul S. Baumbach.
- What is the current status of SB 71?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced March 28, 2023. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 71?
- Track SB 71 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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