Governor Meyer Signs Public Safety Bills

Creates First Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention; Modernizes the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights

DOVER - Today, Governor Matt Meyer signed 10 bills to strengthen public safety and improve community resilience across Delaware.

"We will protect our most vulnerable neighbors, support mental health, and expand access to justice and dignity for every resident," said Governor Matt Meyer. "These bills get us one step closer to that reality, saving lives and supporting survivors."

House Bill 36, sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, updates numerous narrow nondiscrimination provisions across state code so they match Delaware's broader protections, clarifying covered classes and definitions without changing substantive rights.

House Bill 37, sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison and Sen. Tizzy Lockman, ensures government-provided, government-funded, or government-supervised services are held to the same nondiscrimination standards as private businesses by revising the definition of "place of public accommodation."

House Bill 54, sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison and Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, as well as House Speaker Melissa Minor Brown, establishes a statewide Office of Suicide Prevention within DHSS to coordinate prevention efforts, data and best practices across agencies and communities.

"We have made strides in our state to increase access to mental health services and prevent individuals from taking their own lives. But we have overlooked a clear opportunity to do more," said Rep. Eric Morrison. "With the signing of HB 54 into law, all 50 states now have a state-level office dedicated to preventing suicide, or comparable services. We were the last state in the nation to implement this simple but effective measure to coordinate statewide suicide prevention efforts, and we will now have more opportunities to gain a better understanding over time on how to improve our strategies moving forward. This office will save lives, and I could not be more grateful to have had a hand in its creation."

"It's never been more important to protect and support communities that face discrimination - not just with our words, but with purposeful legislative action," said Sen. Laura Sturgeon. "I am proud to be a sponsor of HB 36, which ensures all anti-discrimination laws clearly apply to the full list of protected classes. This bill closes existing loopholes and makes clear that discrimination of any form has no place in Delaware."

"Enacting this legislation will save lives," said Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos. "Establishing an Office of Suicide Preventions puts Delaware in alignment with every other state in the nation and establishes a centralized, comprehensive path forward for supporting our neighbors in crisis."

House Bill 129, sponsored by Rep. Cyndie Romer and Sen. Marie Pinkney, gives kids whose cases stay in Superior Court the right to take a plea and then appeal that decision to the Delaware Supreme Court within 30 days. It also clears up which court handles the case if the decision gets overturned.

"While we always do our best to prevent the worst-case scenario and protect every resident from harm, the sad reality is that there are many victims of crimes in Delaware - and their trauma doesn't stop when the incident does," said Rep. Cyndie Romer. "By updating and modernizing different processes in our criminal justice system and increasing safety and confidentiality provisions for victims of crimes, we are helping to ensure that the road to justice and peace is not long and painful for Delawareans who have suffered enough."

House Bill 154, sponsored by Rep. Mara Gorman and Sen. Tizzy Lockman, protects nonprofits and law enforcement agencies from being sued if they give out new gun safes or safety devices-so long as the items are unopened and in their original packaging, and given with a safe-storage or gun-safety pamphlet

"By providing immunity for non-profits when distributing unopened, manufacturer-packaged gun safety devices with gun safety pamphlets, HB 154 helps to promote a culture of safe and responsible gun ownership in Delaware," said Rep. Mara Gorman. "Creating a Delaware where every citizen can live safely and without the fear of gun violence has been a decades-long goal of mine, and I am proud that the first piece of legislation I ever introduced in the House of Representatives contributes to that goal."

House Bill 220, sponsored by Rep. Debra Heffernan and Sen. Tizzy Lockman, makes updates to Delaware's Juvenile Offender Civil Citation Program - a civil alternative to the formal arrest and criminal prosecution of youth under 18 who commit certain misdemeanor offenses.

This legislation updates officer protocol to require them to consider issuing a juvenile civil citation first o a qualified juvenile offender who would otherwise be charged with specified minor offenses. Additionally, if the officer decides not to issue a civil citation and instead charges the juvenile with a crime, they must formally document the reason in DELJIS.

Juvenile Civil Citation Program training must also be included as part of a police officer's mandatory training every 2 years.

Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Bryan Townsend and Rep. Cyndie Romer, modernizes the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights, updating definitions like victim, witness, and representative, and adds safety and confidentiality provisions. The bill also streamlines remedies and agency responsibilities.

"As legislators, one of our most fundamental responsibilities is public safety. When a crime does occur, we must do more than hold the perpetrator accountable and seek to learn how to prevent future incidents; we must also be there to support the victims," said Sen. Bryan Townsend. "Modernizing and strengthening the Victims' Bill of Rights through Senate Bill 17 ensures survivors of violence and abuse are treated with dignity and compassion, and given a voice in the justice system. I thank the many advocates and members of the Victims' Right Task Force who helped bring this legislation to fruition."

Senate Bill 73, sponsored by Sen. Darius Brown and Rep. Bill Carson, makes it clear that only law enforcement officers can file to request an emergency Lethal Violence Protective Order. This matches the original intent of the law and ensures a consistent, fair process-similar to how other emergency gun safety orders already work.

Senate Bill 82, sponsored by Sen. Tizzy Lockman and Rep. Mara Gorman, extends the period of time that relief may be granted under a lethal violence protective order from 1 year to 5 years, to better prevent gun access by individuals posing a danger to themselves or others.

"Common sense gun laws keep our communities better protected from violence and tragedy," said Sen. Tizzy Lockman. "Delaware's lethal violence protection order law ensures that people who may be at risk of violence to themselves or others cannot purchase or possess a firearm. Senate Bill 82 expands on this protection by increasing the length of time that an LVPO can remain in place, keeping weapons out of the hands of folks in crisis."

Senate Bill 139, sponsored by Sen. Marie Pinkney and Rep. Cyndie Romer, requires law-enforcement agencies to retain and document biological evidence in sexual-offense investigations for defined periods, supporting survivor access to justice and due process.

"Senate Bill 139 puts power back into the hands of survivors by strengthening protections and rights for victims of sexual assault," said Sen. Marie Pinkney. "Addressing the location, status, and preservation of biological evidence is a critical step in ensuring that survivors are treated with the highest degree of compassion, care, and professionalism as they navigate the aftermath of unthinkable trauma."

For any questions or to schedule a one-on-one interview with Governor Meyer, please email [email protected].