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SB 37 Delaware Senate · 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026)

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FREE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR RELATIVES OF CERTAIN CHILDREN IN ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS.

Summary
This Act creates a right to free legal counsel for a relative seeking to adopt a child in the relative’s family after parental rights over the child have been terminated and the child is in the custody of the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. Relatives of a child for whom adoption is being sought who are eligible for free legal counsel in adoption proceedings include siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, first cousins, first cousins once removed, great-grandparents, grandaunts or granduncles, half-siblings, stepparents, stepsiblings, stepaunts or stepuncles, or stepgrandparents. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 10, 2025 Last action Apr 8, 2025
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 10, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate
upper
12 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Bryan Shupe
Bryan Shupe
RRepublican
DE
36
P
Photo of Bryant Richardson
Bryant Richardson
RRepublican
DE
21
P
Photo of Claire Snyder-Hall
Claire Snyder-Hall
DDemocratic
DE
14
P
Photo of Dave Lawson
Dave Lawson
RRepublican
DE
15
P
Photo of Dave Wilson
Dave Wilson
RRepublican
DE
18
P
Photo of Frank Cooke
Frank Cooke
DDemocratic
DE
16
P
Photo of Mike Smith
Mike Smith
RRepublican
DE
22
P
Photo of Ray Seigfried
Ray Seigfried
DDemocratic
DE
5
P
Photo of Ron Gray
Ron Gray
RRepublican
DE
38
P
Photo of Spiros Mantzavinos
Spiros Mantzavinos
DDemocratic
DE
7
P
Photo of Stell Selby
Stell Selby
DDemocratic
DE
20
P
Photo of Valerie Giltner
Valerie Giltner
RRepublican
DE
37