HB 42 Delaware House · 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026)

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11, TITLE 16, AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN.

Summary
This Act does all of the following regarding suspected human trafficking of children: 1. Ensures the sharing of information between the Child Protection Accountability Commission (CPAC) and the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council. 2. Expressly requires a multidisciplinary response to these cases, similar to child deaths and serious physical injury. 3. Even though human trafficking of children is child abuse, specifically delineates it throughout the child abuse multidisciplinary investigative response. 4. Codifies a review panel and oversight committee within CPAC for these cases, with the same authority, subpoena power, and immunities provided to the system that reviews child abuse deaths and near deaths. 5. Establishes that the Office of the Child Advocate will staff the review panel and oversight committee. This Act ensures that Delaware law is consistent with federal law requiring states to consider victims of human trafficking as victims of child abuse and neglect, and requiring the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families to investigate these cases. See the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 et. seq.) and Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (Pub. L. 114-22). Finally, this Act makes minor technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
House Passage
Jun 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
Signed into Law
Aug 2025
Introduced Mar 6, 2025 Signed Aug 12, 2025
Floor votes · Senate Jun 30, 2025 · House Jun 12, 2025

How they voted

210
Passed
Total votes 21
Jun 30, 2025
D Democratic15
15 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican6
6 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
11
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Aug 12, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by Governor
executive
Jun 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
upper
Jun 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee (Finance) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits
upper
Jun 25, 2025
Introduced
Assigned to Finance Committee in Senate
upper
Jun 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits
upper
Jun 12, 2025
Introduced
Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate
upper
Jun 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT
lower
Jun 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee (Appropriations) in House with 1 Favorable, 5 On Its Merits
lower
May 15, 2025
Introduced
Assigned to Appropriations Committee in House
lower
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 1 Favorable, 10 On Its Merits
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House
lower
12 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors