Delaware § 901 - Altering, defacing, or concealing bills or acts; penalties.

§ 901. Altering, defacing, or concealing bills or acts; penalties.

(a) (1) It is unlawful to wilfully do any of the following to an act passed by the General Assembly or a bill pending before a House of the General Assembly, a committee of a House of the General Assembly, or a joint committee of the General Assembly:

a. Add to.

b. Alter.

c. Deface.

d. Erase.

e. Obliterate.

f. Mutilate.

g. Blot.

h. Blur.

i. Steal.

j. Hide.

k. Conceal.

l. Destroy.

m. Misplace with the intent to conceal.

(2) A violation of paragraph (a)(1) of this section is a felony and is to be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $5,000 and costs of prosecution and imprisonment of not less than 1 year nor more than 10 years.

(b) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Act” means a bill that has been enacted under § 18 of Article III of the Delaware Constitution.

(2) “Bill pending” means a bill that is introduced but has not yet been enacted under § 18 of Article III of the Delaware Constitution.

(c) An alteration or amendment of an act passed by the General Assembly or a bill pending before a House of the General Assembly, a committee of a House of the General Assembly, or a joint committee of the General Assembly made in the regular course of proceedings, including under Chapter 2 of Title 1 and §§ 904 and 906 of this title, is not a violation of this section.

(d) This section does not prevent or limit a House of the General Assembly from punishing an individual who violates paragraph (a)(1) of this section for contempt according to parliamentary usage. A punishment for contempt by a House of the General Assembly does not prevent or limit a prosecution under this section.

19 Del. Laws, c. 276, §§  1-4;  Code 1915, §  363;  Code 1935, §  4;  29 Del. C. 1953, §  901;  65 Del. Laws, c. 425, §  1;  83 Del. Laws, c. 458, § 11;  84 Del. Laws, c. 233, § 55;