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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB168 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NONCOMPLIANCE WITH SENTENCING.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NONCOMPLIANCE WITH SENTENCING.

Crime
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Griffith
Last action
2026-04-22
Official status
Out of Committee 4/22/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or how this law will affect current court practices.

Law to Punish Breaking No Contact Orders

This law makes it a class G felony if someone breaks a no contact order after being sentenced for at least one felony, and a class A misdemeanor if the original sentence was only for misdemeanors.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes breaking a no contact order part of a new crime if the original sentencing included felonies.
  • Changes the punishment to a class G felony if someone breaks a no contact order after being sentenced for at least one felony.
  • Punishes breaking a no contact order as a class A misdemeanor if the original sentence was only for misdemeanors.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who are under sentencing orders with no contact provisions and break those orders.

Terms To Know

Felony
A serious crime that can lead to a prison sentence of more than one year.
Misdemeanor
A less serious crime that usually results in a shorter jail time or fines.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone breaks the no contact order multiple times.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced and whether it will change current court practices.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HA 1

1 • Griffith

Passed 6/26/25

Plain English: The amendment adds a new part to HB168 that says only the Superior Court can handle cases where someone breaks the rules set by this law.

  • Adds a new clause (c) after line 12 of HB168, stating that the Superior Court has sole authority over violations of the section.
SA 1

1 • Poore

PWB 4/8/26

Plain English: Senate Amendment No. 1 removes a previous amendment to House Bill No. 168.

  • Removes the changes made by House Amendment No. 1 from House Bill No. 168.
  • The exact details of what was in House Amendment No. 1 are not provided, so we cannot explain those specific changes here.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-22 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Executive) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits

  2. 2026-04-09 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 1 to HB 168 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  3. 2025-06-26 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment HA 1 to HB 168 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  4. 2025-06-26 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment HA 1 to HB 168 - Passed In House by Voice Vote

  5. 2025-06-26 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 38 YES 1 NO 1 ABSENT 1 VACANT

  6. 2025-06-26 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Executive Committee in Senate

  7. 2025-06-11 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 1 Favorable, 8 On Its Merits

  8. 2025-05-15 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NONCOMPLIANCE WITH SENTENCING.
This Act makes it a class G felony if a person breaches a no contact provision of the person's sentencing order, where the sentence was for 1 or more felonies. This Act also makes it a class A misdemeanor if a person breaches a no contact provision of the person's sentencing order, where the sentence was for 1 or more misdemeanors and no felonies.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Griffith & Sen. Poore

Reps. Gorman, Hilovsky, K. Williams; Sens. Buckson, Cruce, Hansen

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 168

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NONCOMPLIANCE WITH SENTENCING.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Subchapter VII, Chapter 5, Title 11 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1312B. Noncompliance with sentencing order conditions of no contact.

(a) If a defendant knowingly breaches any condition of a no contact provision of the defendant’s sentencing order, that breach is a new crime and each breach is a separate charge. On conviction for a breach, the defendant is punished as follows:

(1) If the defendant breached a no contact provision of a sentencing order that was for at least 1 felony charge, the defendant is guilty of a class G felony.

(2) If the defendant breached a no contact provision of a sentencing order that was for at least 1 misdemeanor charge, the defendant is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

(b) Nothing in this section may interfere with or prevent any court from exercising that court’s power to punish for violations of probation

.

SYNOPSIS

This Act makes it a class G felony if a person breaches a no contact provision of the person's sentencing order, where the sentence was for 1 or more felonies. This Act also makes it a class A misdemeanor if a person breaches a no contact provision of the person's sentencing order, where the sentence was for 1 or more misdemeanors and no felonies.