Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateDelawareEnacted
HB 421: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 10 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDERS.
Krista Griffith
HB 421 status: Enacted — Signed by Governor (updated Sep 14, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
58OUT OF 100
Score:58/100 civic fit
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 40/100
Constitutionality85%
Bipartisan70%
Public opinion50%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill amends Title 10 to modify the criteria regarding evidentiary prohibitions for sexual violence protective orders.
Who is affected
Victims of sexual violence, respondents in protective order cases, and the Delaware judiciary.
Requirements and enforcement
The bill permits courts to consider certain information that was previously entirely prohibited, provided that the consideration is used to inform a decision, while still prohibiting its use in a decision to deny.
Costs and funding
Not stated in the available source.
When it takes effect
The bill was signed by the Governor on 2026-09-14.
Potential benefits
Allows for more flexible judicial review and potentially more contextually informed decisions regarding the necessity of protective orders.
Risks and tradeoffs
Risk of inconsistent judicial application, potential impact on privacy, and uncertainty regarding the types of evidence that will now be considered.
What is still unknown
The specific categories of information impacted by this evidentiary change remain unclear from the provided source material.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Society
Positive outlook
65%
Benefits
- Increases judicial discretion in evaluating protective order petitions
- Allows courts to consider a broader range of evidence for grant decisions
- Potentially leads to more nuanced and fact-based rulings
Risks
- Risk of inconsistent judicial application of evidence
- Reduced procedural predictability for both parties
- Potential for disparate impact in how restricted information is weighed
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Mixed / Neutral
50%
Benefits
- Clarifies the specific scope of evidentiary restrictions for courts
- Aligns judicial processes with the specific intent of the protective order
- Standardizes when prohibited information can and cannot be considered
Risks
- Shifts regulatory authority toward broader judicial interpretation
- Potential for difficulty in auditing evidence use across different courtrooms
- Complexity in standardizing judicial conduct regarding the new criteria
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Enables better-informed safety determinations by the court
- Reduces barriers to including pertinent information in protection decisions
- Potentially enhances victim protection through a more thorough record
Risks
- Possibility that evidence could be used to unnecessarily hinder protective measures
- Risk of inconsistent standards impacting victim safety outcomes
- Exposure of sensitive histories without previous evidentiary protections
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
The change in evidentiary standards may create inconsistencies in how sexual violence protective orders are granted or denied across the state.
Analysis scope
Source provided is a brief summary, not the full text of the legislation.
04
Where it stands
Official recordSigned by Governor
- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorComplete
- EnactedComplete
05
How it affects your district
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06
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