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HB33 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATED TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATED TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.

Crime
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Last action
2025-04-14
Official status
Signed by Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not specify the exact effective date, though it notes the bill was signed by the Governor on April 14, 2025.

New Rules for Marijuana Cases in Newark

This law changes which courts handle marijuana cases involving people over 18 who live or are caught in the City of Newark.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows criminal charges for using, consuming, or possessing more than a personal use quantity of marijuana to be heard first at either Alderman's Court or the Court of Common Pleas if committed by someone over 18 in Newark.
  • Includes public consumption cases under the same rules as other criminal charges for people over 18 in Newark.
  • Allows civil violations for possessing a personal use quantity of marijuana to be heard first at Alderman's Court if committed by someone between 18 and 20 years old in Newark.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People over 18 who face criminal charges for using, consuming, or possessing more than a personal use quantity of marijuana in Newark
  • People aged 18 to 20 who face civil violations for possessing a personal use quantity of marijuana in Newark
  • Alderman's Court and the Court of Common Pleas

Terms To Know

Personal use quantity
An amount of marijuana considered small enough for individual use, as opposed to a larger criminal amount.
Alderman's Court
A local court in Newark that handles certain cases before they go to higher courts.
Civil violation
An offense treated as a non-criminal infraction, often resulting in fines rather than jail time.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to offenses committed within the City of Newark.
  • The text does not define exactly how much marijuana counts as a 'personal use quantity'.
  • The effective date for when this law starts is not listed in the provided information.

Amendments

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

HA 1

1 • Romer

Passed

Plain English: Passed 1 by Romer

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-14 Delaware General Assembly

    Signed by Governor

  2. 2025-03-18 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 19 YES 2 ABSENT

  3. 2025-03-12 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Health & Social Services) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits

  4. 2025-01-30 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment HA 1 to HB 33 - Passed In House by Voice Vote

  5. 2025-01-30 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 37 YES 4 ABSENT

  6. 2025-01-30 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate

  7. 2025-01-29 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment HA 1 to HB 33 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  8. 2025-01-22 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 5 On Its Merits

  9. 2025-01-09 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Administration Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATED TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.
This Act allows criminal charges of using, consuming, or possessing other than a personal use quantity of a marijuana or other substance containing tetrahydrocannabinols and charges of public consumption of the same, where the offense is committed in the City of Newark by a person over 18 years of age, to be heard initially at either the Alderman’s Court or in the Court of Common Pleas. This Act likewise allows a civil violation for a person under the age of 21 using, consuming, or possessing a personal use quantity of a marijuana or other substance containing tetrahydrocannabinols to be heard initially at the Alderman’s Court where the violation is committed in the City of Newark by a person over 18 years of age.