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Delaware · 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026) · Bill

HB 4: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WEAPONS.

Enacted Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

HB 4 is a bill introduced in the Delaware House on January 9, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WEAPONS. Primary sponsor: Jeff Spiegelman (Republican), Bill Carson (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican). Most recent recorded action (August 20, 2025): Signed by Governor.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.

This Act amends Chapters 1, 5, 7, and 17 of Title 7 of the Delaware Code to be consistent with the recent legislative change of the definition of a firearm in Title 11. This Act is needed to address public safety and enforcement concerns. Archery equipment and air guns are no longer classified as firearms and the proposed amendments would continue to make certain actions and activities with these “projectile weapons” prohibited, such as having these weapons loaded or discharged from a vehicle, road, or within a designated safety zone. The Act recognizes that there are certain actions and activities with “projectile weapons,” that should continue to be prohibited even though they are no longer classified as “firearms.” This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 28 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to expand the scope of an existing crime within the jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas, Family Court, or Justice of the Peace Court. Section 1309 of Title 7 of the Delaware Code provides that the Justice of the Peace Court has jurisdiction of the offenses being amended by this Act.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1 · Republican 2

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Jeff SpiegelmanPrimary sponsorRepublicanHouse11
Bill CarsonPrimary sponsorDemocraticHouse28
Brian PettyjohnPrimary sponsorRepublicanSenate19

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Signed by Governor
  2. Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
  3. Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits
  4. Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate
  5. Passed By House. Votes: 36 YES 5 ABSENT
  6. Reported Out of Committee (Natural Resources & Energy) in House with 1 Favorable, 11 On Its Merits
  7. Introduced and Assigned to Natural Resources & Energy Committee in House

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source