SB67-SA1: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=141904
This Act codifies that a criminal history report obtained by a home-care agency through the BCC’s criminal screening process is valid for 1 year from the date of the applicant’s fingerprinting. SA1 changed the validity period from 3 years to 1 year. DHCFA is advocating to have long-term care included in the bill. The bill passed by committee and is awaiting full Senate consideration
SB83: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142037
This Act amends the long-term care resident’s bill of rights to provide that residents may not be subject to discrimination based on their membership in a protected class. Specifically, this Act does the following: 1. Adds “or domestic partner” to the provision of the resident’s bill of rights that gives spouses the right to visit and, if feasible and not medically contraindicated, to share a room if both are residents of the facility. This addition is being made to ensure that domestic partnerships entered into in other states are recognized. 2. Adds a non-discrimination provision to § 1121 of Title 16, which enumerates the rights of residents of long-term care facilities. 3. Requires the Department of Health and Social Services (“Department”) to provide a revised notice of resident rights under § 1121 of Title 16 to each resident or the resident’s authorized representative within 30 days of any changes to those rights. 4. Requires each facility to provide appropriate staff training whenever there is a revision to the resident’s bill of rights within 60 days of that revision. The purpose of this Act is to protect long-term care facility residents from discrimination and to ensure that residents, their representatives, and facility staff are aware of residents’ rights.
SB85: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142039
This Act creates the criminal offense of endangering the welfare of a vulnerable adult. A person found guilty of endangering the welfare of a vulnerable adult is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 28 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly.
SB92: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?legislationId=142054
The Uniform Law Commission found that the word “other” was added in error to the final Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act. This Act adopts this correction by deleting the word “other” from § 2527 of Title 16. This Act takes effect on September 30, 2025, to coincide with the effective date of § 2527 of Title 16.
SB93: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142055
This Act updates the terminology used to describe or citations used to reference those who make financial or health-care decisions on behalf of a principal or individual, including when that principal or individual lacks capacity. This Act takes effect on September 30, 2025, to coincide with when the Delaware Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act of 2023 (DUHCDA 2023) takes effect. For details, see the attached bill or follow this link. Strike-throughs and underlines indicate the revisions.