KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

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

Back to Delaware

HS1FORHB213 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES.

Children Crime Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Last action
2026-06-23
Official status
Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES.
  • This Act creates a privilege for confidential communications between a victim and a victim advocate.
  • The victim can waive the privilege with a signed waiver.
  • The privilege may also be overcome in certain circumstances, including mandated reporting of child abuse, communications relating to the intent to commit a violent crime, and in state custody and child abuse cases.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-23 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  2. 2026-05-06 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits

  3. 2026-03-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 39 YES 2 ABSENT

  4. 2026-03-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate

  5. 2026-03-12 Delaware General Assembly

    was introduced and adopted in lieu of HB 213

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES.
This Act creates a privilege for confidential communications between a victim and a victim advocate. The victim can waive the privilege with a signed waiver. The privilege may also be overcome in certain circumstances, including mandated reporting of child abuse, communications relating to the intent to commit a violent crime, and in state custody and child abuse cases. This Act defines a victim advocate as an employee of a victim services agency, or formal volunteer under the supervision of an employee of a victim services agency who has completed a minimum of 20 hours of advocacy training.

This substitute bill incorporates the change from HA1 to House Bill No. 213 regarding the exception for child abuse and state custody cases. It also explicitly excludes law-enforcement agencies and the Department of Justice from the definition of victim services agency. It clarifies that the victim advocate may claim the privilege but only on behalf of the victim. Finally, it adds a process and