Editor’s note: House Bill 162 passed the House 27-11 in May. It remains in the Senate Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology Committee.
As the founder of SeneGence International and a lifelong advocate for women’s empowerment, I am compelled to speak out against House Bill 162 – legislation that not only threatens the freedom of individual entrepreneurs, but also risks serious harm to the state’s economy.
According to the 2025 Direct Selling Education Foundation Growth & Outlook Survey, Delaware was home to more than 35,730 direct sellers, generating more than $127 million in economic activity. These are individuals – many of them women – building businesses from their homes, supporting their families and contributing to their communities. HB 162 would cast a chilling effect over this vital economic engine.
The bill mandates burdensome disclosures and grants a three-month right of rescision. These requirements are not just impractical; they’re patronizing. They assume that the women who choose this path can’t make informed decisions without government oversight.
And worse yet, the bill continues to allow compensation tied to recruitment. Companies that follow the DSA Code of Ethics only pay for product sales, not for adding names to a downline. If this legislation is truly trying to prevent bad actors, that loophole must be closed.
At SeneGence, we proudly support hundreds of Delaware-based distributors – women who are educators, caregivers, veterans and community leaders. They didn’t choose this work because they were misled; they chose it because direct selling offers what few traditional jobs can – flexibility, purpose and ownership.
To suggest these women are victims of a shadowy industry is not only inaccurate, it’s also offensive. Today’s direct selling companies operate with transparency, offer product guarantees and follow robust compliance standards. Most importantly, we offer a low-cost, low-risk path to entrepreneurship.
HB 162 is more than a misguided attempt at consumer protection; it sends a message that women can’t be trusted with their own decisions.
To Delaware’s lawmakers: Listen to the voices of the women in your communities. Don’t silence them with a law that claims to protect while denying them the right to build business on their own terms.
We don’t need mandates. We need to be heard.
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