Bill > SB143

This bill amends Title 12 of the Delaware Code to provide expedited court access for parents or legal guardians seeking digital assets and accounts of a deceased minor. Specifically, the bill modifies existing law to require custodians (such as technology companies or internet service providers) to respond to valid written requests for digital assets within 60 days. The key innovation is a new provision that, when the request comes from a parent or legal guardian of a deceased minor, the court must treat the application as expedited and aim to resolve the matter within 30 days. This change is inspired by the tragic story of Braden Markus, a high school student who took his own life after being threatened online, and whose parents were initially denied access to his digital records. The bill aims to help grieving parents more quickly obtain digital information that could provide insight into their child's circumstances or potentially aid in understanding or preventing similar tragedies. By mandating a 30-day resolution timeline for such requests, the bill seeks to reduce the bureaucratic barriers parents face when trying to access a deceased minor's digital accounts.

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https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142277