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Read. Follow. Verify.Delaware allows appeals on subaqueous land permits and streamlines Environmental Appeals Board procedures under SB 346
Last action · July 23, 2026: Signed by GovernorSponsors: Bryan Townsend and 3 others
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What This Bill Does
SB 346 revises Environmental Appeals Board procedures by permitting individuals substantially impacted by subaqueous lands permit decisions to appeal, while eliminating state-level appeals for federal consistency findings.
Residents and permit applicants face altered legal avenues for challenging state environmental decisions, gaining appeal rights for subaqueous land permits while losing state appeal options for federal coastal zone consistency findings.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
persons substantially impacted by the grant of a subaqueous lands permit
Gains the right to appeal permit decisions by the Secretary to the Environmental Appeals Board.
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
Who can now appeal a subaqueous lands permit decision?
Can I still appeal state findings regarding the federal Coastal Zone Management Act?
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
9 actions- Jul 23, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolledSigned by Governor
- Jun 30, 2026HouseFloorPassed By House. Votes: 41 YES
- Jun 24, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee (Natural Resources & Energy) in House with 8 On Its Merits
- Jun 18, 2026HouseIntroducedAssigned to Natural Resources & Energy Committee in House
- Jun 18, 2026SenateFloorPassed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
- Jun 18, 2026SenateCommitteeAmendment SA 1 to SB 346 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
Show 3 earlier actions
- Jun 18, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee (Environment, Energy & Transportation) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits
- Jun 17, 2026SenateCommitteeAmendment SA 1 to SB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
- Jun 11, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced and Assigned to Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee in Senate
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
41
- Yes
- 41
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (41)
17 more members
Show 1 earlier roll call
SM
Total
20
- Yes
- 20
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (20)
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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Overruling 1986 Legal Precedent
The legislation directly addresses and rectifies a 1986 Superior Court ruling (Worldwide Salvage, Inc. v. Env’t Appeals Bd.) which previously blocked appeals of subaqueous state land permit decisions.
Connected Entities
Sources
legis.delaware.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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