Sen. Nicole Poore

The Department of Health and Human Services (“DHSS”) was established in 1970 by legislative enactment with a broad and crucial mandate: to supervise the health, well being, and life of Delaware citizens. In the decades since, the population of Delaware has increased, and the needs of Delaware citizens have required increasingly complex and costly medical interventions; particularly for those most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly and those suffering from addiction. To serve this broad array of individual needs, DHSS has adapted to provide personalized and individualized services to citizens at a level of direct care. Additionally, the broad language of DHSS’ authorizing statute has required it to maintain focus on other policy initiatives, such as promoting public health and administering healthcare through Medicaid while maintaining compliance with state and Federal laws and regulations, which themselves have grown in complexity. Given the advancements in both individualized care and the policy landscape, this Resolution creates a committee designed to investigate whether to reorganize or restructure the Department as a means to reaffirm its original purpose. Its goal is to ensure that Delawareans receive high-quality care on an individualized basis, and will recommit the Department to its important policy objectives, such as maximizing efficiency and reducing cost.

In addition to criminal background checks that are to be done upon application, this bill further permits SBI to release subsequent criminal histories of any individuals applying to public and private schools, including substitute teachers, and individuals applying to any private school or youth camp.

This Act requires the Department of Education (“Department”) to establish a uniform kindergarten registration process. The Department must establish a uniform kindergarten registration process by the 2021 through 2022 school year and the school districts and charter schools must use the process beginning with the 2022 through 2023 school year. This Act requires the uniform kindergarten registration process to be Internet-based and in paper form and in English and Spanish. This Act also requires that certain information must be provided in the process and that the Internet-based uniform kindergarten registration process must include certain features. Finally, this Act requires the Department to establish a kindergarten registration date 6 weeks before the school choice program deadline, provide training to certain school district and charter school employees regarding the uniform kindergarten registration process, and issue guidelines for privacy of information submitted as part of the registration process.

This Act establishes a new subchapter of Title 16 regulating urgent care facilities. It requires such facilities, existing and new, to obtain a license from DHSS, which requires the urgent care facility to either be accredited by an approved accrediting body or be seeking such accreditation. If the urgent care facility is seeking accreditation, it can operate on a provisional license for nine months. If accreditation is not obtained, the urgent care facility can apply once for a renewal of a provisional license. Operating without a license or accreditation will subject urgent care facilities to fines. The Act grants DHSS the power to promulgate various regulations to enforce the Act. DHSS can also make and enforce orders to protect the public health and share information with the Division of Professional Regulation. The Act requires each urgent care facility in the State to enroll in the Delaware Health Information Network ("DHIN") and to notify a patient's primary care provider through DHIN to facilitate the coordination of care.

This bill requires criminal background checks for any current or prospective employees, contractors, and volunteers of the Division of Health and Social Services that visit families in their homes and in the community or have regular, direct access to children or adolescents under the age of 18. This background check includes fingerprinting for Delaware and national background checks as well as a check of the Child Protection Registry.

This bill: (1) increases the number of directors on the Board and allows the Board to appoint four additional directors; (2) implements clarifying language; (3) sunsets the former Advisory Council to replace it with a subcommittee structure to allow greater participation from members of the public and to allow the Corporation to appoint and receive assistance and expertise from a greater variety of experts; and (4) allows the Board of Directors to amend the Certificate of Incorporation with approval from the General Assembly.

This Bill raises the time periods for public access to individual vital records from 72 years to 80 years after the date of birth, and from 40 years to 50 years after the date of death or marriage.

This legislation gives authority to the Executive Director of the Delaware Commission of Veterans’ Affairs to use the term “Delaware Office of Veterans’ Services” when carrying out the work of the Commission. This will enable the Executive Director and other staff of the Commission to conduct business under a banner that better describes their role as providers of services to Delaware veterans and their families. Applying the name “Delaware Office of Veterans’ Services” also serves to distinguish the office from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and will help alleviate confusion among members of the public. This legislation also removes outdated language.

This Act amends Section 3001(d)(1) of Title 14 to require that the Department of Education ensure that the standards of the Delaware Stars for Early Success system are consistent with the regulations of the Office of Child Care Licensing. It also removes the Office of Child Care Licensing from the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families and puts it within the Department of Education to facilitate that consistency.

This Act authorizes the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Department, or General Assembly to request, and requires the Auditor of Accounts conduct or contract for, an audit of a charter school's business and financial transactions, records, and accounts in certain circumstances. Such a request must be based on evidence of misuse of State money or a violation of the following State law, or regulation promulgated under the State law: (1) Part I of Title 11 (relating to the Delaware Criminal Code). (2) Chapter 5 of Title 14 (relating to charter schools). (3) Subchapter I of Chapter 58 of Title 29 (relating to the State employees’, officers’, and officials’ code of conduct). (4) Chapter 69 of Title 29 (relating to State procurement). In addition, this Act makes clear that the Auditor of Accounts may not charge for an audit conducted or contracted for under this Act.