AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 AND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GUARDIANSHIP OF A CHILD.
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SB 119 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 AND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO GUARDIANSHIP OF A CHILD.
Last action — Signed by Governor
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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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 May 10, 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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3 sponsors
3 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).
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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 amends Chapter 23, Title 13 relating to guardianship and permanent guardianship of a child. The Act does all of the following: 1. Repeals § 351, Title 31, and embeds the requirement for assessments of non-relative guardianship petitioners in Chapter 23, Title 13, the statute for guardianship of a child. 2. Revises the definition of relative for Chapter 23, Title 13, to include the relationships outlined in § 351, Title 31 for whom assessment is not required. This revision also expands eligibility for relative permanent guardianship petitioners. 3. Clarifies that when a parent consents to guardianship, a reason for establishing the guardianship is still required. 4. Moves the parental consent provision previously in § 2353(c) to § 2353(a)(1). 5. Creates separate grounds for granting guardianship when parental rights have been terminated and are vested in DSCYF or a licensed agency. 6. Requires parental consent or a Court order for a guardian or permanent guardian to relocate a child if it will materially affect a parent’s visitation. This provision mirrors the relocation provision in § 734, Title 13. 7. Adds an individual with whom a child in DSCYF custody is placed as a person eligible to serve as a permanent guardian. 8. Clarifies that either a TPR ground or a parent’s consent is required to grant a permanent guardianship. 9. Clarifies that a permanent guardianship petitioner must have the child placed with them for 6 months immediately preceding the filing of the petition. This requirement is also expanded to include relatives, unless the court finds just cause to waive the requirement for a relative petitioner. 10. Provides judicial discretion, where extraordinary circumstances are found, to grant permanent guardianship to a foster parent or individual with whom a child in DSCYF custody is placed when none of the other exceptions apply. 11. Makes minor technical changes to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including replacing "and/or" with the appropriate conjunction and using gender silent language.
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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Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 7 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
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Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits
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Re-Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate
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Introduced and Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate
Sponsors
- Kyle Evans Gay · Primary
- Nicole Poore · Primary
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →3 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 59 not signed on
Sponsors (3)
- Kyle Evans Gay
- Nicole Poore Democratic
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (59)
59 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 59 →"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 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 13 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 6 | 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 119 do?
- This Act amends Chapter 23, Title 13 relating to guardianship and permanent guardianship of a child. The Act does all of the following: 1. Repeals § 351, Title 31, and embeds the requirement for assessments of non-relative guardianship petitioners in Chapter 23, Title 13, the statute for guardianship of a child. 2. Revises the definition of relative for Chapter 23, Title 13, to include the relationships outlined in § 351, Title 31 for whom assessment is not required. This revision also expands eligibility for relative permanent guardianship petitioners. 3. Clarifies that when a parent consents to guardianship, a reason for establishing the guardianship is still required. 4. Moves the parental consent provision previously in § 2353(c) to § 2353(a)(1). 5. Creates separate grounds for granting guardianship when parental rights have been terminated and are vested in DSCYF or a licensed agency. 6. Requires parental consent or a Court order for a guardian or permanent guardian to relocate a child if it will materially affect a parent’s visitation. This provision mirrors the relocation provision in § 734, Title 13. 7. Adds an individual with whom a child in DSCYF custody is placed as a person eligible to serve as a permanent guardian. 8. Clarifies that either a TPR ground or a parent’s consent is required to grant a permanent guardianship. 9. Clarifies that a permanent guardianship petitioner must have the child placed with them for 6 months immediately preceding the filing of the petition. This requirement is also expanded to include relatives, unless the court finds just cause to waive the requirement for a relative petitioner. 10. Provides judicial discretion, where extraordinary circumstances are found, to grant permanent guardianship to a foster parent or individual with whom a child in DSCYF custody is placed when none of the other exceptions apply. 11. Makes minor technical changes to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual, including replacing "and/or" with the appropriate conjunction and using gender silent language.
- Who sponsors SB 119?
- SB 119 is sponsored by Kyle Evans Gay, Nicole Poore (Democratic), and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.
- What is the current status of SB 119?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced May 10, 2023. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 119?
- Track SB 119 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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