The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Delaware prohibits state and local governments from contracting with or funding private detention facilities
Last action · May 21, 2026: Signed by GovernorSponsors: Mara Gorman and 13 others
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What This Bill Does
House Substitute No. 2 for House Bill 151 prohibits state and local government agencies from entering into detention agreements with private entities, paying facility costs, receiving per-detainee payments, or providing financial incentives for private detention facilities. The measure exempts certain Residential Alternative to Detention facilities and nonsecure residential settings for juveniles under Family Court jurisdiction, with the juvenile exemption sunsetting on February 1, 2028.
State and local public agencies are barred from spending public funds on, or entering into contracts with, privately owned or operated detention facilities, altering how government bodies handle inmate housing and facility financing.
- Family Court handles matters involving juveniles and family-related legal issues within Delaware's judiciary system. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State and local government agencies
Prohibited from entering contracts, making payments, or providing financial incentives related to private detention facilities.
Private entities operating detention facilities
Barred from receiving government detention contracts, public subsidies, per diem payments, or financial incentives from state and local agencies.
Juveniles under Family Court jurisdiction
Facilities housing nonsecure residential programs for these juveniles are exempt from the private detention facility ban until February 1, 2028.
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
Does this ban apply to all detention facilities in Delaware?
Are juvenile facilities entirely covered by the ban?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
6 actions- May 21, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolledSigned by Governor
- May 6, 2026SenateFloorPassed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
- Apr 22, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee (Corrections & Public Safety) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits
- Apr 16, 2026SenateIntroducedAssigned to Corrections & Public Safety Committee in Senate
- Apr 16, 2026HouseFloorPassed By House. Votes: 28 YES 13 NO
- Apr 15, 2026HouseIntroducedwas introduced and adopted in lieu of HB 151
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 →Voting Record
SM
Total
21
- Yes
- 21
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (21)
Show 1 earlier roll call
SM
Total
41
- Yes
- 28
- No
- 13
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (41)
17 more members
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 9 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Prohibition on Private Detention Contracting
The state shifts from allowing private detention agreements and funding to a comprehensive statutory ban with specific juvenile and alternative facility exemptions.
Connected Entities
Sources
legis.delaware.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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