Bill Commons

DE SB 15

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AN ACT CONCURRING IN A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE III OF THE DELAWARE CONSTITUTION RELATING TO MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNOR'S CABINET.

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

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Quick answers

Did DE SB 15 pass?

Not yet law. DE SB 15 has passed both chambers but has not been enacted. Latest recorded action (2025-06-26): Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 VACANT

What is DE SB 15 about?

The governance of this State relies on the qualifications and performance of the members of the Governor’s cabinet. The General Assembly finds that the confirmation process is an important step to ensure the qualifications and performance of the Governor’s cabinet. This Act is the second leg of a constitutional amendment to require each holdover member of the Governor’s cabinet to be reconfirmed by the Senate at the beginning of each term of the Governor. The first leg of this constitutional amendment was Senate Bill No. 15 of the 152nd General Assembly, published in Chapter 278 of Volume 84 of the Laws of Delaware. On passage of this second leg by this General Assembly this amendment will become part of the Delaware Constitution. This Act defines members of the Governor’s cabinet as the principal officer of an executive department made subject to § 10 of Article III of the Delaware Constitution by an Act of the General Assembly. Senate Bill No. 16 of the 152nd General Assembly, which was enacted on September 30, 2024, and takes effect on the enactment of this Act, implements this Act by making the principal officer of the following executive departments subject to this constitutional requirement: (1) The Department of Education. (2) The Department of Military Affairs / Delaware National Guard. (3) The Office of Management and Budget. (4) The Department of Health and Social Services. (5) The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. (6) The Department of Agriculture. (7) The Department of Safety and Homeland Security. (8) The Department of Finance. (9) The Department of Transportation. (10) The Department of Labor. (11) The Delaware State Housing Authority. (12) The Department of State. (13) The Department of Correction. (14) The Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. (15) The Department of Technology and Information. (16) The Department of Human Resources. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly when the General Assembly amends the Delaware Constitution.

Who sponsors DE SB 15?

Spiros Mantzavinos, Ray Seigfried, Dave G. Lawson and 13 others are the primary sponsors of DE SB 15, joined by 3 cosponsors.

Description

The governance of this State relies on the qualifications and performance of the members of the Governor’s cabinet. The General Assembly finds that the confirmation process is an important step to ensure the qualifications and performance of the Governor’s cabinet. This Act is the second leg of a constitutional amendment to require each holdover member of the Governor’s cabinet to be reconfirmed by the Senate at the beginning of each term of the Governor. The first leg of this constitutional amendment was Senate Bill No. 15 of the 152nd General Assembly, published in Chapter 278 of Volume 84 of the Laws of Delaware. On passage of this second leg by this General Assembly this amendment will become part of the Delaware Constitution. This Act defines members of the Governor’s cabinet as the principal officer of an executive department made subject to § 10 of Article III of the Delaware Constitution by an Act of the General Assembly. Senate Bill No. 16 of the 152nd General Assembly, which was enacted on September 30, 2024, and takes effect on the enactment of this Act, implements this Act by making the principal officer of the following executive departments subject to this constitutional requirement: (1) The Department of Education. (2) The Department of Military Affairs / Delaware National Guard. (3) The Office of Management and Budget. (4) The Department of Health and Social Services. (5) The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. (6) The Department of Agriculture. (7) The Department of Safety and Homeland Security. (8) The Department of Finance. (9) The Department of Transportation. (10) The Department of Labor. (11) The Delaware State Housing Authority. (12) The Department of State. (13) The Department of Correction. (14) The Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. (15) The Department of Technology and Information. (16) The Department of Human Resources. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article XVI of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly when the General Assembly amends the Delaware Constitution.

Introduced
2025-05-06
Latest action
2025-06-26 — Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 VACANT
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Spiros Mantzavinosprimary
  • Ray Seigfriedprimary
  • Dave G. Lawsonprimary
  • Timothy D. Dukesprimary
  • Edward S. Osienskiprimary
  • Kerri Evelyn Harrisprimary
  • Trey Paradeeprimary
  • Brian Pettyjohnprimary
  • Stell Parker Selbyprimary
  • Josue O Ortegaprimary
  • Bryan Townsendprimary
  • David P. Sokolaprimary
  • S. Elizabeth Lockmanprimary
  • Gerald W. Hockerprimary
  • Melissa Minor-Brownprimary
  • Jeffrey N. Spiegelmanprimary
  • Dave G. Lawsoncosponsor
  • Ray Seigfriedcosponsor
  • Larry Lambertcosponsor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2025-06-26

    Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 VACANT

    passage

  2. 2025-06-18

    Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 5 On Its Merits

    committee-passage

  3. 2025-05-21

    Assigned to Administration Committee in House

    introduction,referral-committee

  4. 2025-05-20

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

    passage

  5. 2025-05-14

    Reported Out of Committee (Executive) in Senate with 5 Favorable, 1 On Its Merits

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  6. 2025-05-06

    Introduced and Assigned to Executive Committee in Senate

    introduction,referral-committee

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • 2/3

    2025-05-20 · pass · 20-0

    Member-level votes (21)
    • Darius J. Brown: other
    • 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

  • 2/3

    2025-06-26 · pass · 40-0

    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.: yes
    • 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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142203

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-24T23:45:52.745778Z

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