Bill Commons

DE HB 166

enacted

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 AND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL.

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

Description

This Act changes the term “child pornography” to “child sexual abuse material”. There has been a growing national movement to ensure the correct terminology is used when identifying victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Child sexual abuse material is the correct and widely accepted terminology for pornographic material depicting a child. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, child sexual abuse material is the preferred term because “it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.” In 2016, an international working group, comprising a collection of countries and international organizations working to combat child exploitation, formally recognized ‘child sexual abuse material’ as the preferred term. This proposed change is supported by the Office of the Child Advocate, Delaware State Police, and the Department of Justice, as well as national organizations like the National Center Against Sexual Exploitation.

Introduced
2025-05-15
Status date
—
Latest action
2026-06-24 — Signed by Governor
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Spiros Mantzavinosprimary
  • David L. Wilsonprimary
  • Bryant L. Richardsonprimary
  • Nicole Pooreprimary
  • Claire Snyder-Hallprimary
  • Stell Parker Selbyprimary
  • Bryan W. Shupeprimary
  • Ronald E. Grayprimary
  • Brian Pettyjohnprimary
  • Michael F. Smithprimary
  • Cyndie Romerprimary
  • Ray Seigfriedprimary
  • Franklin D. Cookeprimary
  • Valerie Jones Giltnerprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-05-15

    Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House

    introduction,referral-committee

  2. 2025-06-18

    Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 10 On Its Merits

    committee-passage

  3. 2025-06-25

    Passed By House. Votes: 39 YES 1 ABSENT 1 VACANT

    passage

  4. 2025-06-25

    Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate

    introduction,referral-committee

  5. 2026-05-06

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

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  6. 2026-06-18

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

    passage

  7. 2026-06-24

    Signed by Governor

    executive-signature

Versions

Not provided by source.

Documents

Not provided by source.

Votes

  • SM

    2025-06-25 · pass · 39-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • 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: yes
    • 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: yes
    • Michael F. Smith: yes
    • Melissa Minor-Brown: yes
    • Shannon Morris: yes
    • Eric Morrison: yes
    • DeShanna U Neal: yes
    • Josue O Ortega: yes
    • Edward S. Osienski: yes
    • Sophie Phillips: yes
    • Charles S Postles Jr.: other
    • Cyndie Romer: yes
    • Melanie Ross Levin: yes
    • Sherae'a Moore: yes
    • Bryan W. Shupe: yes
    • Claire Snyder-Hall: yes
    • Jeffrey N. Spiegelman: yes
    • Jesse R. Vanderwende: yes
    • Madinah Wilson-Anton: yes
    • Lyndon D. Yearick: yes

  • SM

    2026-06-18 · pass · 20-0

    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: other
    • 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=142301

Attribution

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

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