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SB9 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WETLANDS.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WETLANDS.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Last action
2026-07-01
Official status
Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
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 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WETLANDS.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WETLANDS.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WETLANDS.
  • This Act institutes a State nontidal wetlands program to include additional wetlands that are no longer regulated at the federal level.
  • The State wetlands program will cover both tidal and nontidal wetlands, and in that manner fill in gaps in federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and mitigate the uncertainty surrounding the limits to federal jurisdiction and improve efficiencies in the wetland permitting processes.
  • Section 1 of the Act makes a number of changes to Chapter 66 of Title 7 of the Delaware Code: Section 1 adds definitions to § 6603 of Title 7, including for "aquatic habitat functions and services"; "Community Water Access Structure"; "Delaware Wetland Screening Tool," which is a screening tool o be developed in regulations to determine whether an area has the potential to qualify as a wetland; "Exceptional Value Wetlands", which are wetlands that are unique or high functioning, that support flora or fauna that are endangered or threatened, that are located i

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. 2026-07-01 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment HA 1 to SB 9 - Passed In House by Voice Vote

  2. 2026-07-01 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 39 YES 1 NO 1 ABSENT

  3. 2026-07-01 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  4. 2026-06-24 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment HA 1 to SB 9 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  5. 2026-06-23 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Appropriations) in House with 4 On Its Merits

  6. 2026-06-18 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Appropriations Committee in House

  7. 2026-06-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Natural Resources & Energy) in House with 8 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits

  8. 2026-06-11 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Natural Resources & Energy Committee in House

  9. 2026-06-10 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 1 to SB 9 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 18 YES 3 ABSENT

  10. 2026-06-10 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  11. 2026-05-20 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Finance) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits

  12. 2026-05-07 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Finance Committee in Senate

  13. 2026-04-15 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Environment, Energy & Transportation) in Senate with 7 Favorable

  14. 2026-04-09 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 1 to SB 9 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  15. 2026-03-31 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF WETLANDS.
This Act institutes a State nontidal wetlands program to include additional wetlands that are no longer regulated at the federal level. The State wetlands program will cover both tidal and nontidal wetlands, and in that manner fill in gaps in federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and mitigate the uncertainty surrounding the limits to federal jurisdiction and improve efficiencies in the wetland permitting processes.

Section 1 of the Act makes a number of changes to Chapter 66 of Title 7 of the Delaware Code:

Section 1 adds definitions to § 6603 of Title 7, including for "aquatic habitat functions and services"; "Community Water Access Structure"; "Delaware Wetland Screening Tool," which is a screening tool o be developed in regulations to determine whether an area has the potential to qualify as a wetland; "Exceptional Value Wetlands", which are wetlands that are unique or high functioning, that support flora or fauna that are endangered or threatened, that are located i