SB 86 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RULES OF THE ROAD.
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 April 19, 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 (8 D · 4 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
Currently, every adult operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle is required to have a helmet in their possession and wear eye protection while operating or riding a motorcycle and every person up to 19 years of age must wear a helmet and eye protection. This Act requires that everyone who obtains a new endorsement for a motorcycle on or after the effective date of this Act, or someone riding with the newly endorsed person, to wear a helmet and eye protection for the first 2 years after the newly endorsed person receives the endorsement. In 2022, Delaware experienced 10 motorcycle fatalities where the rider was not wearing a helmet. Over the last 5 years, among crashes involving a Delaware licensed motorcycle rider, 25% of fatal and serious injury crashes involved a rider in their first 2 years of having a motorcycle endorsement. Helmets and eye protection are already required for those operating with a temporary motorcycle instruction permit as required under § 2703 of Title 21 of the Delaware Code and no passengers are allowed. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia currently require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. According to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helmets are highly effective in protecting motorcycle riders’ heads in crashes and significantly reduce deaths and serious head injuries in crashes. This Act creates a civil penalty for violation of the helmet law, both the existing law and the law created by this Act.
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: 39 YES 2 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Public Safety & Homeland Security) in House with 5 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee in House
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Environment, Energy & Transportation) in Senate with 7 On Its Merits
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Introduced and Assigned to Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee in Senate
Sponsors
- Edward S. Osienski · Primary
- Laura V. Sturgeon · Primary
- Nicole Poore · Primary
- Ronald E. Gray · Primary
- Timothy D. Dukes · Primary
- Franklin D. Cooke · Primary
- David L. Wilson · Primary
- Bryan Townsend · Primary
- Kendra Johnson · Primary
- Daniel B. Short · Primary
- Sean M. Lynn · Primary
- David P. Sokola · Primary
- Paul S. Baumbach · Primary
- Ruth Briggs King · Primary
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →15 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 47 not signed on
Sponsors (15)
- Edward S. Osienski Democratic
- Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic
- Nicole Poore Democratic
- Ronald E. Gray Republican
- Timothy D. Dukes Republican
- Franklin D. Cooke Democratic
- David L. Wilson Republican
- Bryan Townsend Democratic
- Kendra Johnson Democratic
- Daniel B. Short Republican
- Sean M. Lynn Democratic
- David P. Sokola Democratic
- Paul S. Baumbach
- Ruth Briggs King
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf
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 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 39 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (41)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
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 | Not Voting |
| Eric Buckson | Republican | Yea |
| Gerald W. Hocker | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 86 do?
- Currently, every adult operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle is required to have a helmet in their possession and wear eye protection while operating or riding a motorcycle and every person up to 19 years of age must wear a helmet and eye protection. This Act requires that everyone who obtains a new endorsement for a motorcycle on or after the effective date of this Act, or someone riding with the newly endorsed person, to wear a helmet and eye protection for the first 2 years after the newly endorsed person receives the endorsement. In 2022, Delaware experienced 10 motorcycle fatalities where the rider was not wearing a helmet. Over the last 5 years, among crashes involving a Delaware licensed motorcycle rider, 25% of fatal and serious injury crashes involved a rider in their first 2 years of having a motorcycle endorsement. Helmets and eye protection are already required for those operating with a temporary motorcycle instruction permit as required under § 2703 of Title 21 of the Delaware Code and no passengers are allowed. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia currently require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. According to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helmets are highly effective in protecting motorcycle riders’ heads in crashes and significantly reduce deaths and serious head injuries in crashes. This Act creates a civil penalty for violation of the helmet law, both the existing law and the law created by this Act.
- Who sponsors SB 86?
- SB 86 is sponsored by Edward S. Osienski (Democratic), Laura V. Sturgeon (Democratic), Nicole Poore (Democratic), Ronald E. Gray (Republican), Timothy D. Dukes (Republican), Franklin D. Cooke (Democratic), David L. Wilson (Republican), Bryan Townsend (Democratic), Kendra Johnson (Democratic), Daniel B. Short (Republican), Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Paul S. Baumbach, Ruth Briggs King, and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.
- What is the current status of SB 86?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 19, 2023. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 86?
- Track SB 86 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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