Rep. Cyndie Romer

Early access to language is essential to child development. Children identified as Deaf or hard of hearing rely on hearing aids for language development. Language development leads to success in school. Medicaid coverage of hearing aids for children younger than 21 years old applies only to children who qualify for Medicaid. Delaware currently requires private insurers to provide minimum coverage of $1,000 for each hearing aid for individuals younger than 24 years old, covered as a dependent by the policyholder. The cost of hearing aids can vary widely but can cost from $3,000 to $5,000 out-of-pocket. This can be too expensive for families, even with the current $1,000 coverage requirement. The cost of a cochlear implant can range from $30,000 to $100,000, depending on the necessary device, surgery, and rehabilitation. Delaware does not currently require insurers to cover the costs of cochlear implants. This Act is a second substitute for Senate Bill No. 269 and differs from the first substitute Senate Bill No. 269 by changing the cost-sharing limitation to require insurers to cover at least 95%, instead 100%, of the cost of benefits for hearing aid and earmold benefits provided under § 3357(b)(1)a., § 3571A(b)(1)a., and § 5224(b)(1)a. of this Act. Like the first substitute to Senate Bill No. 269, this Act differs from Senate Bill No. 269 in all of the following ways: 1) Includes external sound processors in the definition of a cochlear implant. 2) Clarifies that, for group and blanket health policies and the state employee health plan, the required coverage of hearing-aid related parts and services is limited to individuals younger than 26 years old and covered as a dependent by the policyholder. 3) Names this Act in honor of T. Hollis Jennings who is a testament to the success of state-mandated hearing aid coverage and early intervention. Hollis got hearing aids when she was an infant. Her language developed typically, with no need for speech therapy. She now exceeds grade-level benchmarks in math and ELA. She’s also a phenomenal singer. 4) Makes technical changes to strike through and underline format to make it easier to see changes and to correct grammar. Like Senate Bill No. 269 and the first substitute for Senate Bill No. 269, this Act requires individual health insurance policies under Chapter 33 of Title 18, group and blanket health insurance policies under Chapter 35 of Title 18, and the state employee health plan under Chapter 52 of Title 29 to cover all of the following: 1) At least 1 hearing aid for each ear at least every 3 years, or before the expiration of the 3-year period if a health care professional determines that a new hearing aid is medically necessary. For hearing aids with earmolds, insurers are required to cover at least 1 earmold for each ear at least annually, or sooner if new earmolds are medically necessary. The cost-sharing limitation applies only to coverage of hearing aids. The types of hearing aid covered includes a hearing aid with an earmold, a hearing aid with slim tubing, a receiver-in-ear hearing aid, a bone-anchored hearing aid, and a cochlear implant. 2) Medically necessary hearing aid-related parts, attachments, or accessories. 3) Medically necessary related services related to prescribing, fitting, implanting, or dispensing hearing aids. Coverage must include medically necessary related services provided by a hearing care professional who specializes in providing care to pediatric patients. For individual health insurance policies, the coverage required under this Act applies to all covered individuals, regardless of age, because federal law prohibits states from limiting coverage for an essential health benefit based on an individual’s age unless there is a clinical reason. For group and blanket health insurance policies and the state employee health plan, the required coverage applies only to individuals younger than 26 years old and covered as a dependent by the policyholder. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual and reorganizes paragraphs for clarity. This Act applies to all policies, contracts, or certificates issued, renewed, modified, altered, amended, or reissued after December 31, 2027.

This resolution designates May 21, 2026, as "Global Accessibility Awareness Day" in the State of Delaware, affirms the importance of making the internet and technology accessible to all, and encourages expanded efforts to keep Delaware residents properly informed about the need for equitable digital access and inclusion.

This resolution recognizes the importance and expertise of Direct Support Professionals to our state on the occasion of May 21st as “Direct Support Professional Advocacy Day" sponsored by the Ability Network of Delaware and A Team Delaware.

This Act prohibits law-enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings that obscure the identity of the individual wearing them in the course of their duties, with exceptions for undercover operations and exigent circumstances. This Act ensures that law enforcement officers in Delaware cannot wear masks or facial coverings that hide their identity when they are carrying out their official duties. Our community deserves to know who is enforcing the law, and clear identification is essential to building trust between residents and law enforcement. When law enforcement officers are acting in public and exercising authority, people should be able to see their faces. This improves accountability, strengthens public confidence, and makes Delaware safer for everyone. The bill defines “facial covering” to include items like balaclavas, ski masks, or tactical masks that obscure the face. It does not ban protective equipment such as medical masks, respirators, or breathing devices that officers need for health and safety, nor does it interfere with undercover operations that require anonymity. It also specifically exempts undercover operations that occur during the course of a criminal investigation or for SWAT teams that are specially trained police units used in high-risk situations that go beyond the capacity of regular patrol officers. This Act serves to empower Delaware law enforcement officers to intervene and verify the identity of any person claiming or otherwise acting as law enforcement while wearing a facial covering, but nothing in this Act diminishes the discretion of law enforcement officers to determine whether it is appropriate to stop or charge any person.

This Act requires every law enforcement agency in Delaware to adopt and publicly post a written policy requiring officers to display identification while performing enforcement duties. Identification must include the officer’s agency and a name, a badge number, or both. This Act also recognizes that there are circumstances where identification cannot or should not be displayed. It creates exceptions for: • Officers engaged in active undercover operations. • Officers wearing personal protective equipment (such as gas masks or respirators) that prevents identification from being visible. • Exigent circumstances, including imminent threats to people or property, an escape in progress, or the destruction of evidence. • Cases where there is a specific and articulable threat to the physical safety of the officer if identification is displayed. To ensure accountability, this Act makes failure to display identification a violation. Repeated violations may result in an unclassified misdemeanor, underscoring the seriousness of the requirement. This Act serves to empower Delaware law enforcement officers to intervene and verify the identity of any person claiming or otherwise acting as law enforcement but who fails to display clear identification, but nothing in this Act diminishes the discretion of law enforcement officers to determine whether it is appropriate to stop or charge any person. This Act also strikes a balance by giving the public confidence that law enforcement officers can be identified and held accountable while also preserving officer safety and operational effectiveness.

This Act is a result of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee's focused review of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services' (DDDS) adult day and employment services. This Act requires that DDDS submit an annual report relating to its services to increase the transparency of the services and highlight unmet needs for efficient service delivery. In § 7909A(c)(2)a. of Title 29, DDDS will provide data on census, new applications, demographics of those groups, and the size and diversity of the provider system. Section 7909A(c)(2)b. allows DDDS to demonstrate that its services, and how the services are accessed, change over time. Section 7909A(c)(2)c. gives DDDS the flexibility to provide information on service requests that could not be met, why service requests could not be met, and observed gaps in service delivery, or other information related to challenges DDDS identifies related to the service system. This Act also makes technical changes to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.

This Act mandates that all current and prospective employees or contractors of the Office of Auditor of Accounts submit to state and federal criminal background checks.

This Act requires that an electric supplier’s interconnection rules, for purposes of net-metering, align with the most recent version of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Model Interconnection Procedures (Procedures) within 12 months of the Procedures’ latest publishing date.

This Act changes the name of the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee to "the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee." When the Committee was first codified in 1980, it was named the "the Joint Sunset Committee." In 2016, the Committee voted to change its name to "the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee." The Committee had "sunsetted" only 2 reviewed entities up to that point. Because "sunsetting" was only one of the Committee's many functions and used the function rarely, its name had grown confusing to the public. Adding "Legislative Oversight" more fully represented the Committee's purpose. Over the last 7 years, the Committee has reviewed 40 entities and "sunsetted" only 6 of them. In January 2026, the Committee voted to update its name to more accurately reflect its evolved purpose. Like most similar committees in other states, Delaware's committee has significantly downsized its focus on the "sunsetting" process in favor of conducting oversight and performance evaluation. This Act does not eliminate or lessen the Committee's authority to "sunset" an entity when a review demonstrates that doing so is the best outcome, and this Act does not amend the Committee's overall authority, focus, or purpose. This Act also makes a technical correction to the title of Chapter 102, Title 29.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 151 prohibits the operation of private detention facilities in the State of Delaware. This means that all detention facilities in the state must be publicly owned and operated, directly affecting any private entities currently operating or planning to operate such facilities.