DELAWARE - Governor Matt Meyer set out today to support domestic violence survivors with five new bills signed into law.
"All of the bills signed today have one thing in common: making it easier for us to keep people safe," says Attorney General Kathy Jennings.
The first bill, HB 122, clarifies the criminal jurisdiction of Family Court, including by removing the requirement that both parents be Delaware residents from the definition of family. The law also allows Family Court and the Court of Common Pleas to hear and decide the same case for relevant non-felony adult criminal cases.
The second bill, HB 213, creates a confidentiality-related privilege for communications between victims and qualifying victim advocates. The protection is designed to allow survivors to talk to advocates while establishing specific exceptions, including for mandated reporting.
Bill No. 3, HB 342, extends Delaware's ban on purchasing or possessing deadly weapons to people subject to qualifying protective orders issued outside of the First State. The law closes a gap that previously limited the ban to Family Court protective orders.
Bill No. 4, HB 421, establishes clearer criteria for sexual violence protective orders. The law bans Superior Court from denying an order based on factors including voluntary intoxication, limited consensual sexual touching, or a survivor's decision not to report non-consensual conduct or threats to law enforcement.
The fifth bill, HB 355, is known as the Speak Your Truth Act. It provides more protections against retaliatory defamation lawsuits involving sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination disclosures. The law includes provisions related to attorney fees and damages when a covered person successfully defends against a defamation claim.
“Domestic violence is often hidden behind closed doors, but the responsibility to end it belongs to all of us,” says Gov. Meyer. “These laws make it safer for survivors to ask for help, seek protection and speak their truth without fear of retribution or punishment. To every survivor who found the courage to speak out and to every advocate who stood beside them when they needed you: we see you, we thank you and we have your back.”
Meyer also signed a proclamation recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Delaware and called on Delawareans to recognize ending domestic violence is a shared responsibility.
