Delaware Equal Rights Regardless of Sex Amendment (2019)
| Delaware Equal Rights Regardless of Sex Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ratification date January 16, 2019 | |
| Topic Constitutional rights | |
| Sponsor State Rep. Valerie Longhurst (D-15) |
The Delaware Equal Rights Regardless of Sex Amendment was approved by the Delaware General Assembly and added to the Delaware Constitution on January 16, 2019.
The amendment prohibits denial or abridgment of rights based on sex.
Overview
What did this constitutional amendment do?
- See also: Text of measure
The constitutional amendment added a new section to Article I of the Delaware Constitution that requires that no individual be denied equality of rights based on their sex.[1]
Who supported this constitutional amendment?
State Rep. Valerie Longhurst (D-15) introduced the constitutional amendment to the Delaware General Assembly for their consideration. The legislature approved both versions of the amendment with a Lean Democratic Partisan Directional Index.
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article I, Delaware Constitution
The amendment added Section 21 to Article I of the Delaware Constitution. The following underlined text was added and struck-through text was deleted:[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
§ 21. Equal Rights
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex.[2]
Full text
The full text of the measure can be found here.
Amending the Delaware Constitution
The Delaware General Assembly has the sole and complete authority to amend the state constitution. Unlike in any other state, the state legislature can amend the constitution without a vote of the people. For the legislature to amend the constitution:
- two-thirds of all the members elected to each chamber must vote in favor of a proposed amendment;
- the Delaware Secretary of State must then publish the proposed amendment three months prior to the next general election in at least three newspapers in each county; and
- the subsequent General Assembly then votes again on the proposed amendment(s) and if an amendment receives two-thirds majority approval of all members of each chamber, it becomes part of the constitution.
The amendment in the Delaware General Assembly
House Bill 1 (2019)
State Rep. Valerie Longhurst (D-15) introduced the amendment to the state legislature on December 13, 2018. The state House passed the amendment on January 10 in a vote of 35-6. On January 16, the state Senate passed the amendment in a vote of 16-5.[3]
| Votes Required to Pass: 28 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 35 | 6 | 0 |
| Total % | 85.0% | 15.0% | 0.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| Votes Required to Pass: 14 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 16 | 5 | 0 |
| Total % | 76.0% | 24.0% | 0.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 4 | 5 | 0 |
House Bill 399 (2018)
On March 27, 2018, state Rep. Valerie Longhurst (D-15) introduced the amendment to the state legislature as House Bill 399. On June 6, the state Senate passed the amendment in a vote of 17-4. On June 7, the state House passed the amendment in a vote of 35-6.[4]
| Votes Required to Pass: 14 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| Total % | 81.0% | 19.0% | 0.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Votes Required to Pass: 28 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 35 | 6 | 0 |
| Total % | 87.0% | 13.0% | 0.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 10 | 6 | 0 |
See also
- The Delaware Constitution
- Amending the Delaware Constitution
- State constitutional conventions
- Other constitutional amendments concerning Constitutional rights
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Delaware State Legislature, "House Bill 1 Text," accessed October 15, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source.
- ↑ Delaware General Assembly, "House Bill 1," accessed October 15, 2025
- ↑ Delaware General Assembly, "House Bill 399," accessed October 15, 2025
