AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MEDICAL PRACTICE.

This Act updates the mandatory reporting requirements for Delaware physicians with anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. These changes are necessary to ensure that physicians are able to seek treatment without undue stigma or fear of loss of medical licensure. The recommended changes to the statutory reporting requirements are aligned with national best practices recommendations of leading experts including the Joint Commission on Healthcare Accreditation and the Federation of State Medical Boards. The mandatory reporting changes in this Act are also aligned with the language of the current Delaware application for medical licensure, which appears to be more aligned with best practices and compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-336. 26 July 1990). These changes are designed to appropriately balance the need to continue to maintain proper safeguards for patients in accessing safe, high quality health care services without causing undue stigma and negative licensure consequences for physicians. Finally, this Act deletes language in § 1731(c) of Title 24 of the Delaware Code that references the other professions or occupations regulated under Chapter 17 of Title 24 because these professions or occupations have their own requirements in other provisions of Chapter 17.