Delaware legislation · 153rd General Assembly
Delaware SJR21: DSHS/Bio Evidence/Storage/Study
Status: Signed into law, September 14, 2026
DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF THE AUTOMATIC STORAGE OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.
What the bill says
From the introduced text, June 17, 2026:
Legislation Document SPONSOR: Sen. Hoffner & Rep. Bush Sen. Pinkney DELAWARE STATE SENATE 153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 21 DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF THE AUTOMATIC STORAGE OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE. WHEREAS, today, DNA can provide some of the best evidence of guilt or innocence, making it important to preserve and retain evidence from crime scenes; and WHEREAS, properly preserving biological evidence is the key to prosecuting criminal cases, solving cold cases, and exonerating the innocent; and WHEREAS, since 1989, more than 630 wrongfully convicted people have been exonerated through DNA evidence, including 38 people facing the death penalty; and WHEREAS, Senate Bill No. 214 of this legislative session sought to create a requirement for the automatic preservation of all biological evidence secured in relation to an investigation or prosecution of a crime for as long as the crime remains unsolved, or the period of time that a person convicted of the crime remains in custody; and WHEREAS, outstanding questions remain over the practical implementation of the provisions of Senate Bill No. 214; and WHEREAS, it is critical that the State of Delaware has a policy to ensure the preservation of biological evidence. NOW THEREFORE: BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 153 rd General Assembly …
Sponsors
- Kyra Hoffner (D, 14) · primary sponsor
- William Bush (D, 29)
- Marie Pinkney (D, 13)
Latest actions
- : Signed by Governor
- : Passed By House. Votes: 36 YES 1 NO 4 ABSENT
- : Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 4 On Its Merits
- : Assigned to Administration Committee in House
- : Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
- : Reported Out of Committee (Executive) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 5 On Its Merits
- : Introduced and Assigned to Executive Committee in Senate
Votes
- Passed (2/3) (June 25, 2026): 36 yea, 1 nay, passed
- Passed (SM) (June 18, 2026): 20 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is SJR21?
- SJR21 is a bill in the Delaware Legislature (153rd General Assembly): DSHS/Bio Evidence/Storage/Study.
- What does SJR21 do?
- DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF THE AUTOMATIC STORAGE OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.
- What is the status of SJR21?
- Signed into law as of September 14, 2026. Latest action: Signed by Governor (September 14, 2026).
- Who sponsored SJR21?
- Kyra Hoffner (D, 14), with 2 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SJR21?
- On the Delaware Legislature website: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=143586
Source: official Delaware record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.