DELAWARE -A new bill introduced in the Delaware General Assembly would restrict when state employees can share information about a person’s citizenship or immigration status.
House Bill 238, introduced on December 18, by Rep. Sean Lynn (D -District 31), proposes changes to Title 30 and Title 19 of the Delaware Code, which govern the Department of Finance and the Department of Labor.
Under the legislation, employees of the Department of Finance would be prohibited from disclosing any information related to a person’s citizenship or immigration status that appears in tax returns, tax documents, or other department records. Disclosure would only be allowed with approval from the Attorney General, through a court order connected to a felony criminal investigation, or when otherwise required by law. Unauthorized disclosure would be classified as a misdemeanor.
The bill would impose similar restrictions on employees of the Department of Labor. Under the proposal, Labor Department workers could not share citizenship or immigration status information contained in agency documents or databases without Attorney General approval, a qualifying court order, or another legal requirement. Violations would also be considered a misdemeanor.
House Bill 238 has been assigned to the House Revenue & Finance Committee, where it will be reviewed before potentially advancing to the full House for consideration.