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.
Sponsored bills
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 bill makes changes to the Adult Correction Healthcare Review Committee by adding the chairpersons of the House and Senate Correction committees as ex-officio non-voting members. This bill also places this Committee within the Criminal Justice Council so the Committee has the administrative support it needs to effectuate its purpose. This bill also tasks the Committee with advising not only the Commissioner of the Department of Correction but also the Governor and the General Assembly on matters concerning inmate health-care services in our State’s correctional institutions. This bill makes clear that certain State agencies and contractors providing medical services to inmates must provide information requested by the Committee. This Committee is not a public body, and the bill emphasizes that Committee members must abide by federal and state laws regarding the privacy of protected health information and provides penalties for violations of the privacy of such information.
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 concurrent resolution recognizes and honors the young women of Delaware participating in the 2019 session of Delaware Girls State.
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, wellbeing, 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, the inevitable conclusion is that DHSS’ dual roles must be separated into two separate Departments with Cabinet-level representation. Doing so will ensure that Delawareans receive high-quality care on an individualized basis, and will recommit a separate agency to its important policy objectives, such as maximizing efficiency and reducing the cost associated with waste that arises when an agency’s functions become too manifold for the agency to be efficient and effective. This Bill establishes a committee of members from various state agencies, as well as the legislative and executive branches and individuals representing the healthcare industry and Delaware citizens. The strategic mission of this Committee is to implement a separation of DHSS’ current organizational structure into two separate cabinet-level Agencies. The Bill also establishes a timeline for action by the Committee that will encourage it to act quickly and with clear direction to maximize efficiency and reduce the costs associated with waste.
This bill clarifies that in order to be found guilty of prostitution the person must be 18 years or older.
This Act creates the Delaware Health Insurance Individual Market Stabilization Reinsurance Program & Fund (the “Program”). The Program will be administered by the Delaware Health Care Commission in order to provide reinsurance to health insurance carriers that offer individual health benefit plans in Delaware. The Program will be funded with passthrough funds received from the federal government under the Affordable Care Act, funds provided by the Federal Government for reinsurance, and through a 2.75% annual assessment based on insurance carrier’s premium tax liability.
It is an unfortunate reality that many offenders have difficulty re-entering society. Without the ability to provide for themselves and their families through gainful employment, 67.8% of released prisoners are rearrested within three years of release nationally. One of the reasons that offenders have difficulty is because they often face the unrealistic requirement to pay off large fees and fines, which grow with interest if not paid, at the same time as they have to pay for housing, food, care for children, or other necessities of life. Failure to pay can result in the offender found to be in violation while on probation or being denied a pardon. Furthermore, most offenders tend to be non-affluent, and the state spends resources chasing fines and fees it will not recover. Unlike motor vehicle fines under Title 21, which generate large sums of revenue, fees and fines under Title 11 and 16 are modest and collection costs are high. The social costs in terms of impacting rehabilitation and successful re-entry are even higher. To address this problem and to give the Department of Correction a positive incentive to reward participation in work programs in its facilities or in the community, this Act authorizes the Department of Correction to give minimum wage to inmates to pay off fees or fines by participating in an earned credit program established by the Department of Correction. The court would establish how many hours need to be worked in order to discharge this financial obligation by computing the hours based on the then prevailing state minimum wage hourly rate. The Department of Correction will establish an earned credit program and certify to the court when the individual has completed the required number of hours. The earned credit program cannot be used to discharge other financial obligations owed, such as restitution, child support obligations, or bail.
This joint resolution is designed to establish a task force to study and make findings concerning the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.