SB 237 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 9 AND 22 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING.
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 12, 2024. 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
9 primary, 0 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
This Act amends the provisions in Title 9 of the Delaware Code relating to the county comprehensive plans for Sussex, Kent, and New Castle Counties, and Title 22 of the Delaware Code relating to municipal comprehensive plans for municipalities with populations greater than 2,000, to require that their comprehensive plans increase community resiliency and address the impacts of climate change. The Delaware Code provisions regarding county comprehensive plans are being amended to require that future land use plans reflect strategies that consider community resiliency and reduce the vulnerability of property, agriculture, infrastructure, and cultural and natural resources from the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, and that those strategies be informed by the Delaware Climate Action Plan and Implementation Plans as amended, and in consultation with the Office of State Planning and Coordination. The new provisions add “walking trails” to the mobility element to be considered, and require that consideration be given to alternatives to auto-centric development patterns, including transit services. County comprehensive plans must be consistent with the State Implementation Plan and consider designated State evacuation routes. The county comprehensive plans must also consider forests, habitat areas, and wildlife corridors. The housing element for county comprehensive plans must consider anticipated growth areas and be in conformance with the strategies reflected in future land use plans and encourage the development of new housing growth away from areas vulnerable to inland and coastal flooding. This Act will not take effect until November 15, 2026.
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: 27 YES 12 NO 1 NOT VOTING 1 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Housing) in House with 5 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Housing Committee in House
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 15 YES 5 NO 1 ABSENT
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Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits
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Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate
Sponsors
- David L. Wilson · Primary
- Spiros Mantzavinos · Primary
- Bryan Townsend · Primary
- David P. Sokola · Primary
- Kendra Johnson · Primary
- Russell Huxtable · Primary
- Stephanie L. Hansen · Primary
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf · Primary
- Paul S. Baumbach · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →9 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 53 not signed on · 16 voted No
Sponsors (9)
- David L. Wilson Republican Voted No
- Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic
- Bryan Townsend Democratic
- David P. Sokola Democratic
- Kendra Johnson Democratic
- Russell Huxtable Democratic
- Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf
- Paul S. Baumbach
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
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 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Democratic | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 27 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 66% | 29% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (41)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 71% | 24% | 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 | Not Voting |
| 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 | Nay |
| Bryant L. Richardson | Republican | Nay |
| Dave G. Lawson | Republican | Nay |
| David L. Wilson | Republican | Nay |
| Eric Buckson | Republican | Yea |
| Gerald W. Hocker | Republican | Nay |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 237 do?
- This Act amends the provisions in Title 9 of the Delaware Code relating to the county comprehensive plans for Sussex, Kent, and New Castle Counties, and Title 22 of the Delaware Code relating to municipal comprehensive plans for municipalities with populations greater than 2,000, to require that their comprehensive plans increase community resiliency and address the impacts of climate change. The Delaware Code provisions regarding county comprehensive plans are being amended to require that future land use plans reflect strategies that consider community resiliency and reduce the vulnerability of property, agriculture, infrastructure, and cultural and natural resources from the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, and that those strategies be informed by the Delaware Climate Action Plan and Implementation Plans as amended, and in consultation with the Office of State Planning and Coordination. The new provisions add “walking trails” to the mobility element to be considered, and require that consideration be given to alternatives to auto-centric development patterns, including transit services. County comprehensive plans must be consistent with the State Implementation Plan and consider designated State evacuation routes. The county comprehensive plans must also consider forests, habitat areas, and wildlife corridors. The housing element for county comprehensive plans must consider anticipated growth areas and be in conformance with the strategies reflected in future land use plans and encourage the development of new housing growth away from areas vulnerable to inland and coastal flooding. This Act will not take effect until November 15, 2026.
- Who sponsors SB 237?
- SB 237 is sponsored by David L. Wilson (Republican), Spiros Mantzavinos (Democratic), Bryan Townsend (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Kendra Johnson (Democratic), Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Stephanie L. Hansen (Democratic), Peter C. Schwartzkopf, and Paul S. Baumbach.
- What is the current status of SB 237?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced March 12, 2024. Enacted.
- Where can I track SB 237?
- Track SB 237 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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