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

SB 209: AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF SEAFORD RELATING TO POLICE.

In committee 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

SB 209 is a bill introduced in the Delaware Senate on December 18, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF SEAFORD RELATING TO POLICE. Primary sponsor: Bryant Richardson (Republican). It lists 1 additional sponsor. Most recent recorded action (December 18, 2025): Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate.

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 the Charter of the City of Seaford relating to the City of Seaford Police Department (the “Department”) by adding the existing Chief of Police position and by more clearly outlining the organization, oversight, powers, and duties of the Department and its members. The Mayor appoints a Chief of Police, with the advice and consent of the City Council. The Chief of Police reports directly to the City Manager. The Chief of Police commands and supervises the Department and oversees the Department’s organization, administration, and operation. The Chief of Police may do all of the following: 1. Establish directives, rules, regulations, and policies necessary to effectively operate the Department. 2. Appoint, assign, promote, suspend, or dismiss members of the Department. The members of the Department have police powers and are conservators of the peace within the City of Seaford’s corporate limits. As allowed by state and local law, the members of the Department have police powers outside of the City of Seaford’s corporate limits. The members of the Department shall do all of the following: 1. Enforce all applicable federal, state, and local laws and ordinances. 2. Maintain public order. 3. Protect life and property. 4. Bring arrested individuals before the appropriate judicial authority. This Act also removes the misdemeanor penalty, imposed under the Charter, for a member of the Department neglecting or refusing to perform the member’s duties. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 1 of Article IX of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to amend a municipal charter.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 2

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Bryant RichardsonPrimary sponsorRepublicanSenate21
Danny ShortCo-sponsorRepublicanHouse39

“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. Introduced and Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate

Sources

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