HB294 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 21 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO A DESIGNATED PARKING SPACE FOR PREGNANT PERSONS AT STATE BUILDINGS.

Budget Housing

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Berry
Last action: 2026-06-24
Official status: Signed 6/24/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source states '1 or more' reserved spaces for pregnant persons, which implies the Director decides the exact number per site within that range.

Reserved Parking for Pregnant Persons at State Buildings

This law requires state officials to set aside parking spots for pregnant people at specific government buildings and stops others from using those spots.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to mark one or more reserved parking spaces for pregnant persons.
Lists 23 specific state locations where these reserved spaces must be created, including Division of Motor Vehicles offices and State Service Centers.
Prohibits people from stopping, standing, or parking in a space unless they are the person it is reserved for.
Exempts violations of this new rule from civil penalties that usually apply to other parking tickets under Title 21.
Makes small technical changes to existing laws to match current writing standards.

Who It Names or Affects

Pregnant persons who visit the listed state buildings and facilities.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, who must designate the spaces.
Drivers who park at the specified Delaware state locations.

Terms To Know

Director of the Office of Management and Budget: The state official responsible for assigning the reserved parking spots.
Civil penalty: A fine or monetary punishment that this law says does not apply to violations of these specific parking rules.

Limits and Unknowns

The law takes effect six months after it is signed, so the spaces are not available immediately.
The text lists specific buildings but does not say how many spots must be created at each location beyond a minimum of one total.

Amendments

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

HA 1

1 • Berry

Passed 5/7/26

Plain English: This amendment changes a bill about pregnancy parking spots so that state buildings must have them, while rented buildings are only encouraged to get them.

The rule now requires the Director of Management and Budget to create reserved parking for pregnant people at locations owned by the State.
For facilities leased or rented by the State, the Director is only encouraged to work with landlords to add these spots instead of being required to do so.
A new section adds that the Director should consider adding these parking spaces at future state-owned and leased buildings if it is possible.

The text does not explain exactly how many spots are needed or where they must be placed within a building lot.
It uses the word 'encouraged' for rented places, which means there is no penalty listed if these spaces are not created.

Bill History

2026-06-24 Delaware General Assembly
Signed by Governor
2026-06-16 Delaware General Assembly
Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
2026-05-20 Delaware General Assembly
Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 3 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits
2026-05-07 Delaware General Assembly
Amendment HA 1 to HB 294 - Passed In House by Voice Vote
2026-05-07 Delaware General Assembly
Passed By House. Votes: 36 YES 5 ABSENT
2026-05-07 Delaware General Assembly
Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate
2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly
Amendment HA 1 to HB 294 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
2026-03-11 Delaware General Assembly
Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 4 On Its Merits, 1 Unfavorable
2026-03-05 Delaware General Assembly
Introduced and Assigned to Administration Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 21 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO A DESIGNATED PARKING SPACE FOR PREGNANT PERSONS AT STATE BUILDINGS.
This Act provides that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget must designate 1 or more reserved parking spaces for pregnant persons at certain designated state buildings and facilities. It also prohibits stopping, standing, or parking in the pregnant person’s space.
Violations of this Act are exempted from the civil penalty for parking violations that exists in Title 21.
This Act takes effect 6 months after its enactment into law.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Berry & Sen. Lockman & Sen. Pinkney

Reps. Gorman, Griffith, Morrison, Neal, Ross Levin, D. Short, Yearick, Heffernan, Minor-Brown, Harris, Lambert; Sens. Sokola, Cruce, Richardson, Hansen, Sturgeon

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 294

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 21 AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO A DESIGNATED PARKING SPACE FOR PREGNANT PERSONS AT STATE BUILDINGS.

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

Section 1. Amend § 4179, Title 21 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 4179. Stopping,

standing

standing,

or parking.

(e) No person

shall

may

stop,

stand

stand,

or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, including all state-owned

and/or

and

state leased property; in any of the following places:

(19) In any area owned by, leased by or under the control of the State, when such area has been designated by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget as a reserved parking space for members of the General Assembly, their staff, state-owned vehicles, specific state

offices

offices,

or state

employees.

employees, unless the person is the person or in the class of persons for whom the parking space is reserved.

Such parking spaces will be conspicuously marked as such;

(20) In any area designated by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget as a reserved parking space under § 6309A of Title 29, unless the person is the person or in the class of persons for whom the parking space is reserved;

(20)

(21)

In any

areas

area

which in any manner restricts access to or ingress or egress from the areas defined in paragraph (19)

or (20)

of this subsection.

(i) A violation of paragraph 20 or 21, with respect to paragraph 20, of this subsection is not subject to a civil penalty under § 4178 of this title.

Section 2. Amend § 6309A, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 6309A.

Human Resources Management [Repealed].

Designated Parking Space.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget must designate 1 or more reserved parking spaces for a pregnant person at the following locations or a successor location that serves the same function:

(1) Delaware City Division of Motor Vehicles.

(2) Greater Wilmington Division of Motor Vehicles.

(3) Dover Division of Motor Vehicles.

(4) Georgetown Division of Motor Vehicles.

(5) Appoquinimink State Service Center.

(6) Belvedere State Service Center.

(7) Claymont State Service Center.

(8) DeLaWarr State Service Center.

(9) Floyd I. Hudson State Service Center.

(10) Northeast State Service Center.

(11) Winder Laird Porter State Service Center.

(12) Division of Social Services’ Canby Park Office.

(13) Churchman’s Corporate Center.

(14) Robscott Building.

(15) James W. Williams State Service Center.

(16) Blue Hen Corporate Center.

(17) Smyrna State Service Center.

(18) Bridgeville State Service Center.

(19) Edward W. Pyle State Service Center.

(20) Laurel State Service Center.

(21) Milford State Services Center Campus.

(22) Thurman Adams State Service Center.

(23) Anna C. Shipley State Service Center.

Section 3. This Act takes effect 6 months after its enactment into law.

SYNOPSIS

This Act provides that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget must designate 1 or more reserved parking spaces for pregnant persons at certain designated state buildings and facilities. It also prohibits stopping, standing, or parking in the pregnant person’s space.

Violations of this Act are exempted from the civil penalty for parking violations that exists in Title 21.

This Act takes effect 6 months after its enactment into law.

This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.