AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE II OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

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Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Yearick
Last action: 2026-05-19
Official status: House Administration 5/19/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Proposing a Crossover Day Deadline in Delaware's Constitution

This bill proposes to add a new section to the Delaware Constitution that sets a deadline by which one house of the General Assembly must send bills to the other house, except for certain types of acts and resolutions.

What This Bill Does

Adds a new section to Article II of the Delaware Constitution called 'Legislation Crossover Day deadline'.
Requires all bills from one house of the General Assembly to be sent to the other house by June 20 each year, except for specific types of acts and resolutions.
Excludes the annual budget appropriation act, grants-in-aid act, bond and capital improvements act, and resolutions from this deadline requirement.

Who It Names or Affects

Members of the Delaware General Assembly
People involved in the legislative process in Delaware

Terms To Know

Crossover Day: The date by which one house of the General Assembly must send bills to the other house, set as June 20 each year.
General Assembly: The legislative body of Delaware consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill only sets a deadline for sending bills between houses, not for passing them into law.
It does not specify what happens if the deadline is missed without a waiver from both houses.

Bill History

2026-05-19 Delaware General Assembly
Introduced and Assigned to Administration Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE II OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
This is the first leg of a constitutional amendment creating a "Crossover Day" deadline for each House of the General Assembly to send legislation over to the other House. The annual budget appropriation act, grants-in-aid act, bond and capital improvements act, and resolutions are excluded from this deadline. Currently 26 states, including Maryland, have crossover day deadlines for passing legislation between their two legislative chambers.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Yearick & Sen. Pettyjohn

Rep. D. Short; Sens. Lawson, Buckson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 428

AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE II OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (Two-thirds of all members elected to each house thereof concurring therein):

Section 1. Amend Article II of the Delaware Constitution by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

“

§ 26. Legislation Crossover Day deadline.

Except for the annual budget appropriation act, grants-in-aid act, the bond and capital improvement act, or resolutions, all bills originating in a House of the General Assembly must be presented to the other House on or before June 20 of each year. This date is to be known as “Crossover Day”. A House may waive this restriction by a resolution of that House passed with the concurrence of two-thirds of all members elected to that House.

”.

SYNOPSIS

This is the first leg of a constitutional amendment creating a "Crossover Day" deadline for each House of the General Assembly to send legislation over to the other House. The annual budget appropriation act, grants-in-aid act, bond and capital improvements act, and resolutions are excluded from this deadline. Currently 26 states, including Maryland, have crossover day deadlines for passing legislation between their two legislative chambers.