Delaware legislation · 153rd General Assembly
Delaware HB456: DNREC Subaqueous Lands Permitting/Streamline
Status: Signed into law, September 24, 2026
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SUBAQUEOUS LANDS.
What the bill says
An act to amend title 7 of the delaware code relating to subaqueous lands.
From the introduced text, June 4, 2026:
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SUBAQUEOUS LANDS. WHEREAS, subaqueous lands below river, lakes, streams and other water bodies are generally the property of the State, to be administered on behalf of the people of the State; and WHEREAS, the Subaqueous Lands Act (SLA) established the requirements for the issuance of permits, leases, or letters of approval for activities by people or companies in submerged lands and tidelands and established that the permittee may be required to take measures to offset the loss to the public of a substantial resource; and WHEREAS, the operation of the SLA permitting system would benefit from adjustments to the SLA to provide greater clarity, to enable the Secretary to delegate certain duties, and also to address the impact of certain legal decisions upon the operation of the Act; and WHEREAS, the development and use of general permits would provide the public with increased clarity about permitting rights and would improve the ability of the Department to provide permits in a timely manner; and WHEREAS, the development of alternative shoreline stabilization techniques, and the more widespread impacts from coastal storm events, have caused both riparian landowners and the Department to reconsider subaqueous and riparian lands management priorities and strategies; and WHEREAS, the Department seeks to reduce financial disincentives for …
Sponsors
- Cyndie Romer (D, 25) · primary sponsor
- Ronald Gray (R, 38)
- Kyra Hoffner (D, 14)
- Frank Burns (D, 21)
- Debra Heffernan (D, 6)
Latest actions
- : Signed by Governor
- : Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
- : Reported Out of Committee (Environment, Energy & Transportation) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits
- : Assigned to Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee in Senate
- : Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT
- : Reported Out of Committee (Natural Resources & Energy) in House with 7 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits
- : Introduced and Assigned to Natural Resources & Energy Committee in House
Votes
- Passed (3/4) (June 24, 2026): 21 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Passed (SM) (June 11, 2026): 40 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is HB456?
- HB456 is a bill in the Delaware Legislature (153rd General Assembly): DNREC Subaqueous Lands Permitting/Streamline.
- What does HB456 do?
- In its own words: An act to amend title 7 of the delaware code relating to subaqueous lands.
- What is the status of HB456?
- Signed into law as of September 24, 2026. Latest action: Signed by Governor (September 24, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB456?
- Cyndie Romer (D, 25), with 4 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB456?
- On the Delaware Legislature website: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=143422
Source: official Delaware record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.