DelawarePrivate citizens and health-care security staff may detain people in limited situations
The signed measure describes when private citizens and health-care security staff may help detain someone while seeking law-enforcement assistance.
What it does
A private citizen may help a peace officer make an arrest or detention when the officer asks for help or cannot act.
Health-care employees and security workers may briefly hold someone who presents a safety or security risk while they call law enforcement, but only on the premises and in a reasonable way.
Argument forHealth-care facilities could get quicker help when someone creates a safety risk because staff may briefly hold the person while calling law enforcement.
Argument againstPeople could be detained by private security based on a mistaken judgment about who presents a safety risk, even though the detention must be reasonable.
More detail
A private citizen may help a peace officer make an arrest or detention. This applies when a peace officer asks for help or is unable to act. The citizen may assist only while the peace officer is attempting to make the arrest or detention. No start or end date is stated in the supplied text.
A health-care employee or security worker may take a person into custody and briefly detain that person while calling law enforcement. This covers employees or security personnel at health-care institutions, licensed medical practices, and licensed dental practices, when someone presents a security or safety risk on the premises. The detention must be for the purpose of summoning a law-enforcement officer. The person must be held in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time on the premises. No start or end date is stated in the supplied text.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Aug 31Signed by Governor Matt MeyerBecame Law
- Jun 30Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YESPassed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 24Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 4 On Its MeritsMinor
- Jun 11Assigned to Judiciary Committee in SenateMinor
- Vote recorded Passage. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 11Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENTPassed House
- May 19was introduced and adopted in lieu of HB 322Introduced
Public SafetyHealthcareCriminal Justice