Legislative Hall to Reopen to the Public on a Limited Basis
June 5, 2021/
The public will again be allowed into Legislative Hall in Dover – for the first time since January of 2020! Seating will be limited – but if you plan to attend a session – you can reserve seats at the Delaware General Assembly website. There will be 25 seats available each in the House and Senate galleries and sign up forms will be available beginning at 5pm the evening before each session day. Masks must be worn at all times in Leg Hall. The doors will open 30 minutes before each chamber convenes on a given day.
The plan, authored by the Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate, does the following:
- 25 seats in the House gallery and 25 seats in the Senate gallery (50 seats total) will be made available to members of the public each session day.
- Members of the public will be able to reserve seats on the Delaware General Assembly website.
- The House and Senate will use separate online sign-up forms.
- The sign-up forms will be available starting at 5 p.m. the evening before each session day.
- Members of the public will be required to provide their full name and email address to reserve a seat. Confirmation of a seat reservation will be emailed using the address provided.
- Sign-up opportunities will close once all available seats have been reserved or 10 a.m. the following morning, whichever comes first.
- Capitol Police will be provided with the names of individuals who have reserved a seat in each chamber.
- Members of the public will not be able to sign up more than once each day. Individuals will be limited to once seat per person per day. No seating will be available to anyone who arrives at Legislative Hall without a reservation.
- Doors to Legislative Hall will open 30 minutes before each chamber convenes session on a given day. Attendees will be directed up the main staircase (or to the nearest elevator) and to their respective gallery. They will be asked to leave once session is completed.
- Members of the public must wear masks at all times while in Legislative Hall, as with all other state government buildings.
- In order to accommodate as many Delawareans as possible, members of the public are encouraged to sign up to observe only one chamber each day.
