Bill Commons

DE HB 129

enacted

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO APPEALS OF COURT DECISIONS ON MOTIONS TO TRANSFER.

Delaware · 2025-2026 Regular Session (153rd General Assembly) · lower

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Quick answers

Did DE HB 129 pass?

Yes. DE HB 129 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-08-20): Signed by Governor

What is DE HB 129 about?

Currently, if a child’s criminal case is transferred by the Family Court to Superior Court, or if a child files an application in Superior Court to have their criminal case transferred to Family Court and the Superior Court denies the application, there is no recourse for appeal until the child’s criminal case is finally adjudicated in Superior Court. In State v. Roberts, Del.Supr. 282 A.2nd 603 (1971) the Delaware Supreme Court stated its jurisdiction over such appeals by an accused, may only be by operation of law. This Act permits the child to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere and appeal an amenability denial to the Delaware Supreme Court within 30 days of being sentenced by the Superior Court. This Act also prohibits any plea being conditioned on waiving this right of appeal. This Act also clarifies that the Superior Court will not retain jurisdiction over the child if the Supreme Court reverses the Superior Court’s Order. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform with H.B. 115 of the 151st General Assembly, which was enacted into law on November 8, 2021 and prohibited transfers to Superior Court for children under the age of 16 in all but the most serious offenses.

Who sponsors DE HB 129?

Claire Snyder-Hall, Spiros Mantzavinos, Kerri Evelyn Harris and 6 others are the primary sponsors of DE HB 129.

Description

Currently, if a child’s criminal case is transferred by the Family Court to Superior Court, or if a child files an application in Superior Court to have their criminal case transferred to Family Court and the Superior Court denies the application, there is no recourse for appeal until the child’s criminal case is finally adjudicated in Superior Court. In State v. Roberts, Del.Supr. 282 A.2nd 603 (1971) the Delaware Supreme Court stated its jurisdiction over such appeals by an accused, may only be by operation of law. This Act permits the child to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere and appeal an amenability denial to the Delaware Supreme Court within 30 days of being sentenced by the Superior Court. This Act also prohibits any plea being conditioned on waiving this right of appeal. This Act also clarifies that the Superior Court will not retain jurisdiction over the child if the Supreme Court reverses the Superior Court’s Order. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform with H.B. 115 of the 151st General Assembly, which was enacted into law on November 8, 2021 and prohibited transfers to Superior Court for children under the age of 16 in all but the most serious offenses.

Introduced
2025-05-01
Latest action
2025-08-20 — Signed by Governor
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Claire Snyder-Hallprimary
  • Spiros Mantzavinosprimary
  • Kerri Evelyn Harrisprimary
  • Nicole Pooreprimary
  • Mara Gormanprimary
  • Marie Pinkneyprimary
  • William Bushprimary
  • Sean M. Lynnprimary
  • Cyndie Romerprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2025-08-20

    Signed by Governor

    executive-signature

  2. 2025-06-24

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

    passage

  3. 2025-06-11

    Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 5 On Its Merits

    committee-passage

  4. 2025-05-15

    Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate

    introduction,referral-committee

  5. 2025-05-15

    Passed By House. Votes: 33 YES 8 ABSENT

    passage

  6. 2025-05-14

    Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 9 On Its Merits

    committee-passage

  7. 2025-05-01

    Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House

    introduction,referral-committee

Versions

Not provided by source.

Documents

Not provided by source.

Votes

  • SM

    2025-05-15 · pass · 33-0

    Member-level votes (41)
    • Stephanie T. Bolden: yes
    • Frank Burns: yes
    • William Bush: yes
    • William J. Carson: yes
    • Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha: yes
    • Richard G. Collins: yes
    • Franklin D. Cooke: yes
    • Daniel B. Short: other
    • Timothy D. Dukes: yes
    • Mara Gorman: yes
    • Ronald E. Gray: yes
    • Krista Griffith: yes
    • Kerri Evelyn Harris: yes
    • Debra Heffernan: yes
    • Kevin S Hensley: yes
    • Jeff Hilovsky: yes
    • Valerie Jones Giltner: yes
    • Kendra Johnson: yes
    • Kimberly Williams: yes
    • Kamela T Smith: yes
    • Larry Lambert: yes
    • Sean M. Lynn: other
    • Michael F. Smith: other
    • Melissa Minor-Brown: yes
    • Shannon Morris: yes
    • Eric Morrison: other
    • DeShanna U Neal: yes
    • Josue O Ortega: other
    • Edward S. Osienski: yes
    • Stell Parker Selby: other
    • Sophie Phillips: yes
    • Charles S Postles Jr.: yes
    • Cyndie Romer: yes
    • Melanie Ross Levin: yes
    • Sherae'a Moore: yes
    • Bryan W. Shupe: other
    • Claire Snyder-Hall: yes
    • Jeffrey N. Spiegelman: yes
    • Jesse R. Vanderwende: other
    • Madinah Wilson-Anton: yes
    • Lyndon D. Yearick: yes

  • SM

    2025-06-24 · pass · 21-0

    Member-level votes (21)
    • Darius J. Brown: yes
    • Eric Buckson: yes
    • Daniel Cruce: yes
    • Stephanie L. Hansen: yes
    • Gerald W. Hocker: yes
    • Kyra L. Hoffner: yes
    • Russell Huxtable: yes
    • Dave G. Lawson: yes
    • S. Elizabeth Lockman: yes
    • Spiros Mantzavinos: yes
    • Trey Paradee: yes
    • Brian Pettyjohn: yes
    • Marie Pinkney: yes
    • Nicole Poore: yes
    • Bryant L. Richardson: yes
    • Ray Seigfried: yes
    • David P. Sokola: yes
    • Laura V. Sturgeon: yes
    • Bryan Townsend: yes
    • John "Jack" Walsh: yes
    • David L. Wilson: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142161

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T03:53:51.443619Z

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