HB 194 Summary

• Expands the Committee responsible for unmarked burials and skeletal remains to include the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware alongside the Nanticoke Indian Tribe for determinations of Native American remains.

• Creates a separate ad hoc committee process for non-Native American remains, including those of enslaved individuals and persons of undetermined cultural affiliation, composed of lineal descendants, archaeologists, historians, and other stakeholders appointed by the Director.

• Adds new definitions of "lineal descendant" and "proven kinship" to clarify succession rights and replace the undefined term "next of kin" in disposition decisions.

• Establishes a public notification requirement through newspapers and the Division's website for discoveries of non-Native American remains, with a 30-day period for lineal descendants to claim ancestry before the Committee determines disposition.

• Makes failure to notify the Medical Examiner or Director of discovered remains a criminal prohibition punishable by a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 or imprisonment up to 2 years.