| HB 338 | Signed | Gorman | This Act clarifies that individual, group, and blanket health insurance carriers must provide for and pay for services (including immunizations) that were recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the comprehensive guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that were in effect as of January 1, 2025. They must also cover immunizations that were supported by national clinical guidelines or national standards of care in effect on January 1, 2025.
To that end, this Act removes provisions that permit carriers to deny coverage for these items or services simply because they are not currently recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC and the comprehensive guidelines supported by the HRSA. This Act also removes obsolete United States Preventative Task Force provisions related to breast cancer screening from 2009. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HEALTH CARRIER COVERAGE OF IMMUNIZATIONS AND PREVENTIVE SERVICES. |
| SB 283 w/ SA 1 | Signed | Pinkney | This Act expands the scope of practice for dental hygienists in this State. Allowing dental hygienists to use the full range of their education and expertise when providing oral health services will help alleviate provider shortages that make it challenging for Delawareans to obtain dental care. In particular, this Act will help fill gaps in access to preventative oral health care.
Oral health is inseparable from overall health, and patients are best served when care is delivered through an integrated, team-based model. Dental hygienists play a vital and respected role in prevention, education, and early identification of disease. A collaborative dental team where each provider practices at the top of their education within a structured system of referral, communication, and accountability ensures patients receive timely preventative services along with accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This approach strengthens access while preserving the standard of care and protecting the public.
This Act grants dental hygienists the authority to do all of the following, in addition to the services they currently provide:
1. Administer and dispense topical agents under the standing order of a dentist providing general supervision.
2. Prescribe, administer, and dispense fluoride under the standing order of a dentist providing general supervision
3. Apply sealants without the need for a dentist to examine a patient beforehand, provided a dentist will see the patient within 12 months of receiving treatment.
4. Engage in dental hygiene assessment and treatment planning within the scope of the authority of a dental hygienist as defined by the Board of Dentistry and Denal Hygiene based on education and experience.
5. Provide direct access to prophylaxis without the need for a dentist to examine a patient beforehand, provided a dentist will see the patient within 12 months of receiving treatment.
6. Directly supervise dental assistants in a manner to be prescribed by the Board of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DENTAL HYGIENE. |
| SB 320 w/ SA 2 | Signed | Pinkney | This Act modernizes Delaware’s pharmacy practice laws by authorizing pharmacists to practice to the full extent of their education and training.
Pharmacists have the expertise necessary to provide patient care beyond what current Delaware law allows, and enabling them to do so is an important step toward expanding access to health care in this State. Under this Act, pharmacists are permitted to independently evaluate patients, identify health conditions, order and prescribe laboratory tests, and prescribe drugs or devices without reliance on statewide protocols, formularies, or specified lists of conditions. Pharmacists may not prescribe controlled substances, with the exception of medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, which pharmacists may only prescribe under a standing order from the Division of Public Health. In order to enable pharmacists to prescribe medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder under a standing order, this Act also amends the Uniform Controlled Susbstances Act in Chapter 47 of Title 16 to include “pharmacist” in the definition of “practitioner.”
To ensure continuity of care, this Act also establishes requirements for documentation of treatment and communication with primary care providers.
This Act takes effect immediately, but implementation is delayed by up to 1 year to give the Board of Pharmacy time to implement necessary regulations. This Act does not affect current law regarding the use of statewide protocols, standing orders, or collaborative practice agreements.
This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. | AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PHARMACY AND PHARMACISTS. |
| HJR 13 | Signed | Berry | This resolution directs the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services, to study the creation of a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program that would place aspiring healthcare professionals in paid clinical positions in healthcare facilities while they complete the training and schooling necessary to become credentialed healthcare professionals.
The resolution requires that the study consider how any recommended program may be funded through Delaware’s federal Rural Health Transformation Program award and implemented through or in coordination with the competitive awards made by the Department of Health and Social Services under that program, so that the program complements, rather than duplicates, the State’s ongoing healthcare workforce initiatives.
This resolution also directs the Department of Labor to consult with stakeholders to make recommendations for degreed apprenticeship programs beyond healthcare and requires the Department to submit a report of its findings to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Division of Legislative Services by May 1, 2027.
| DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO STUDY THE CREATION OF A DELAWARE HEALTHCARE APPRENTICESHIP DEGREE PROGRAM AND TO REPORT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. |
