Bill Commons

DE HB 153

enacted

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ARREST AND DETENTION.

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

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Quick answers

Did DE HB 153 pass?

Yes. DE HB 153 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-07-14): Signed by Governor

What is DE HB 153 about?

This Act prohibits arrest or detention by any person who does not have explicit statutory authority to carry out an arrest or detention. The intent of this provision is to eliminate any doubt that a “citizen’s arrest” is not permitted in Delaware. Peace officers have statutory authority to make arrests, as do federal law enforcement agents and out-of-state police under some circumstances. There is also limited authority to detain a person suspected of shoplifting provided to a merchant, store supervisor, agent or employee of a merchant in § 840 of Title 11; to detain a person suspected of unlawful recording by a motion picture theater owner, supervisor, agent or employee under § 858 of Title 11; and to detain a person suspected of unlawful acts with a video lottery machine by a video lottery agent or any of its officers, employees or agents under § 1474 of Title 11. This Act also deletes two outdated provisions of Chapter 65 of Title 11 that reference the exercise of arrest by private detectives. At the present time, private investigators do not have authority to make arrests in Delaware.

Who sponsors DE HB 153?

Sarah McBride, Spiros Mantzavinos, Claire Snyder-Hall and 9 others are the primary sponsors of DE HB 153, joined by 11 cosponsors.

Description

This Act prohibits arrest or detention by any person who does not have explicit statutory authority to carry out an arrest or detention. The intent of this provision is to eliminate any doubt that a “citizen’s arrest” is not permitted in Delaware. Peace officers have statutory authority to make arrests, as do federal law enforcement agents and out-of-state police under some circumstances. There is also limited authority to detain a person suspected of shoplifting provided to a merchant, store supervisor, agent or employee of a merchant in § 840 of Title 11; to detain a person suspected of unlawful recording by a motion picture theater owner, supervisor, agent or employee under § 858 of Title 11; and to detain a person suspected of unlawful acts with a video lottery machine by a video lottery agent or any of its officers, employees or agents under § 1474 of Title 11. This Act also deletes two outdated provisions of Chapter 65 of Title 11 that reference the exercise of arrest by private detectives. At the present time, private investigators do not have authority to make arrests in Delaware.

Introduced
2025-05-01
Latest action
2025-07-14 — Signed by Governor
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Sarah McBrideprimary
  • Spiros Mantzavinosprimary
  • Claire Snyder-Hallprimary
  • Dave G. Lawsonprimary
  • David L. Wilsonprimary
  • Josue O Ortegaprimary
  • Cyndie Romerprimary
  • Sean M. Lynnprimary
  • Eric Morrisonprimary
  • Bryant L. Richardsonprimary
  • Marie Pinkneyprimary
  • Mara Gormanprimary
  • Frank Burnscosponsor
  • Eric Morrisoncosponsor
  • Sean M. Lynncosponsor
  • Cyndie Romercosponsor
  • DeShanna U Nealcosponsor
  • Josue O Ortegacosponsor
  • Sophie Phillipscosponsor
  • Kamela T Smithcosponsor
  • Claire Snyder-Hallcosponsor
  • Larry Lambertcosponsor
  • Daniel Crucecosponsor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2025-07-14

    Signed by Governor

    executive-signature

  2. 2025-06-30

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 17 YES 4 NO

    passage

  3. 2025-06-30

    Lifted From Table in Senate

  4. 2025-06-25

    Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  5. 2025-06-17

    Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate

    introduction,referral-committee

  6. 2025-06-17

    Passed By House. Votes: 24 YES 12 NO 5 ABSENT

    passage

  7. 2025-06-17

    Amendment HA 1 to HB 153 - Passed In House by Voice Vote

    amendment-passage

  8. 2025-05-21

    Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 4 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  9. 2025-05-01

    Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House

    introduction,referral-committee

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • SM

    2025-06-17 · pass · 24-12

    Member-level votes (41)
    • Stephanie T. Bolden: yes
    • Frank Burns: yes
    • William Bush: other
    • William J. Carson: yes
    • Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha: yes
    • Richard G. Collins: no
    • Franklin D. Cooke: yes
    • Daniel B. Short: other
    • Timothy D. Dukes: no
    • Mara Gorman: yes
    • Ronald E. Gray: no
    • Krista Griffith: other
    • Kerri Evelyn Harris: yes
    • Debra Heffernan: yes
    • Kevin S Hensley: no
    • Jeff Hilovsky: no
    • Valerie Jones Giltner: no
    • Kendra Johnson: yes
    • Kimberly Williams: yes
    • Kamela T Smith: yes
    • Larry Lambert: yes
    • Sean M. Lynn: yes
    • Michael F. Smith: no
    • Melissa Minor-Brown: yes
    • Shannon Morris: no
    • Eric Morrison: yes
    • DeShanna U Neal: yes
    • Josue O Ortega: yes
    • Edward S. Osienski: yes
    • Stell Parker Selby: other
    • Sophie Phillips: yes
    • Charles S Postles Jr.: no
    • Cyndie Romer: yes
    • Melanie Ross Levin: yes
    • Sherae'a Moore: yes
    • Bryan W. Shupe: no
    • Claire Snyder-Hall: yes
    • Jeffrey N. Spiegelman: no
    • Jesse R. Vanderwende: other
    • Madinah Wilson-Anton: yes
    • Lyndon D. Yearick: no

  • SM

    2025-06-30 · pass · 17-4

    Member-level votes (21)
    • Darius J. Brown: yes
    • Eric Buckson: yes
    • Daniel Cruce: yes
    • Stephanie L. Hansen: yes
    • Gerald W. Hocker: no
    • Kyra L. Hoffner: yes
    • Russell Huxtable: yes
    • Dave G. Lawson: no
    • S. Elizabeth Lockman: yes
    • Spiros Mantzavinos: yes
    • Trey Paradee: yes
    • Brian Pettyjohn: no
    • 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: no

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142166

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-24T12:45:38.665674Z

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