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HB 42STATE · DelawareSigned

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11, TITLE 16, AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN.

This Act does all of the following regarding suspected human trafficking of children: 1. Ensures the sharing of information between the Child Protection Accountability Commission (CPAC) and the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council. 2. Expressly requires a multidisciplinary response to these cases, similar to child deaths and serious physical injury. 3. Even though human trafficking of children is child abuse, specifically delineates it throughout the child abuse multidisciplinary investigative response. 4. Codifies a review panel and oversight committee within CPAC for these cases, with the same authority, subpoena power, and immunities provided to the system that reviews child abuse deaths and near deaths. 5. Establishes that the Office of the Child Advocate will staff the review panel and oversight committee. This Act ensures that Delaware law is consistent with federal law requiring states to consider victims of human trafficking as victims of child abuse and neglect, and requiring the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families to investigate these cases. See the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 et. seq.) and Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (Pub. L. 114-22). Finally, this Act makes minor technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

Voted 8/12/2025View source

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Docket history

Action history

  1. 8/12/2025Signed by Governor
  2. 6/30/2025Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
  3. 6/26/2025Reported Out of Committee (Finance) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits
  4. 6/25/2025Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits
  5. 6/25/2025Assigned to Finance Committee in Senate
  6. 6/12/2025Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT
  7. 6/12/2025Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate
  8. 6/10/2025Reported Out of Committee (Appropriations) in House with 1 Favorable, 5 On Its Merits
  9. 5/15/2025Assigned to Appropriations Committee in House
  10. 5/14/2025Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 1 Favorable, 10 On Its Merits