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Read. Follow. Verify.Delaware bill protects rights of unhoused individuals in public spaces and permits life-sustaining activities
Last action · May 6, 2026: Not Enough Signatures to ReleaseSponsors: Sophie Phillips and 14 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Delaware HB 135 allows unhoused individuals to conduct life-sustaining activities in public spaces without penalty unless adequate indoor shelter with transportation is offered, and extends private property protections to personal items and vehicles stored in public.
Changes legal rights and liabilities for unhoused individuals, local governments, and law enforcement by permitting public life-sustaining activities, waiving state , and creating a against government agencies that violate these protections.
- The bill is named in honor of Dr. DeBorah Gilbert White, recognizing advocacy or community work related to homelessness. context
- Housing Alliance Delaware operates homelessness hotlines and tracks referral data for unhoused households across the state. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Individuals experiencing homelessness
Gain legal protections for life-sustaining activities in public spaces, personal property stored in public, and vehicles parked on public property, along with the right to raise violations as an affirmative defense.
State and local governments
Face restrictions on removing unhoused individuals from public spaces unless alternative shelter is offered, and are subject to civil enforcement actions and waived sovereign immunity for violations.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can unhoused individuals be ticketed or have their vehicles towed under this bill?
What legal recourse exists if a government agency violates this Act?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- May 6, 2026HouseNot Enough Signatures to Release
- Apr 30, 2026HouseCommitteeAmendment HA 1 to HB 135 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
- May 7, 2025HouseIntroducedAssigned to Housing Committee in House
- May 6, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 10 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition from Penalization to Housing Incentives
The bill seeks to shift local government approaches from using emergency and criminal justice services for removal to coordinating emergency housing and wrap-around services.
Connected Entities
Sources
legis.delaware.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
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