Delaware · Senate Bill 137 · 152nd General Assembly

JLOSC/Review/Tourism Advisory Board/Terminate

  1. Introduced May 19, 2023
  2. In committee May 19, 2023
  3. Passed the Senate Jun 13, 2023
  4. Passed the House Jun 22, 2023
  5. To the governor  
  6. Became law Jul 25, 2023

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Tourism Advisory Board ("Board"). First formed in 1981, the Board has served in an advisory role to the Delaware Tourism Office, Division of Small Business, and the Department of State. The Board's primary purpose is advocating for and promoting tourism in Delaware. Its duties include researching and studying matters…

Read the full title (287 words)

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's review of the Tourism Advisory Board ("Board"). First formed in 1981, the Board has served in an advisory role to the Delaware Tourism Office, Division of Small Business, and the Department of State. The Board's primary purpose is advocating for and promoting tourism in Delaware. Its duties include researching and studying matters appropriate to best support the Delaware Tourism Office functions. The Board was once heavily involved in providing the Tourism Office with advice and support. By 2013, however, the Tourism Office's need for the Board's advice and support decreased, as the Tourism Office's staffing and funding structure were improved under the Delaware Economic Development Office. Now under the Division of Small Business, the work of the Tourism Office is captured in the Division's annual report, which has not referenced the Board for at least the last 5 years. The Board's only official act since 2018 was a letter to the General Assembly to support the inclusion of short-term rentals under the State's Public Accommodations Tax. Over the last 10 years, the Tourism Office has run a successful tourism program without the advice or support of the Board, including winning prestigious industry awards, launching marketing initiatives, holding workshops to support the tourism industry, and releasing the latest Value of Tourism publication in 2019. For these reasons, and with the support of the Tourism Office, the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee concluded that, although the Board once served an important role in tourism in Delaware, the Board is no longer meeting its statutory duties or fulfilling a state need, and that the Board should be terminated. This Act therefore terminates the Tourism Advisory Board.

Every action

7 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

  1. CommitteeIntroduced and Assigned to Legislative Oversight & Sunset Committee in Senate · Senate Legislative Oversight & Sunset
  2. CommitteeReported Out of Committee (Legislative Oversight & Sunset) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits · Senate Legislative Oversight & Sunset
  3. SenatePassed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES21–0 vote
  4. CommitteeAssigned to Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability) Committee in House · House Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability)
  5. CommitteeReported Out of Committee (Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability)) in House with 3 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits · House Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability)
  6. HousePassed By House. Votes: 38 YES 3 ABSENT38–0 vote
  7. GovernorSigned by Governor

Roll calls

2 recorded votes: 2 on the floor, 0 in committee. Each shows how every member voted.

Sponsors

The member who introduced it, joined by 8 cosponsors: 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans.

All 8 cosponsors

From Delaware's official records (legis.delaware.gov), checked Nov 1, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.