General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, May 20, 2026

The big news, of course, is that the watered-down version of the so-called health care cost containment bill unanimously passed the Senate.  While it does place some requirements on insurers (good), the substitute bill that passed largely added language written by, and for, ChristianaCare.  We covered this in today’s Open Thread, where I linked to this comprehensive piece by Nick Stonesifer.  You should read it.

The Senate also defeated one of the more inscrutable bills I’ve come across in recent memory.  SCR 191 (Buckson) ‘adopts a rule applicable to both the Senate and House of Representatives to limit the number of bills introduced by members of the General Assembly to 5 bills each regular session.’  OK, I’ll bite:  Why?  Serious legislators who work and/or have expertise in a particular area often introduce packages of bills. (In fairness, I wouldn’t mind someone making this resolution applicable to Kim Williams and only Kim Williams.) Did anyone listen to the debate, and can they tell me what the rationale for this was?  All I can think of is that Buckson, trapped in a hopeless minority caucus, has retreated to his Own Private Idaho, which is probably a necessary survival skill when you’re an irrelevant elephant.  Anyway, it didn’t come close to passing.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.

There’s a lengthy Senate Agenda today.  Ony one bill caught my interest.

As in, kids, what’s wrong with this bill?  Nothing would be wrong with it if HS1/HB 183 (Gorman) was the law.  As it stands, Speaker Mimi won’t let that bill come up for a vote.  Paging Evelyn Brady? As it stands, SB 164 would merely employ the same anti-democratic process for selecting a candidate for Lieutenant Governor as has been used for legislative special elections.

The rest of the agenda consists of bills of the ‘codifies’ and clarifies’ type.

How do I make a slog not seem like a slog?  That’s the question I’m asking myself as I stare down a bleepload of loaded committee meeting agendas today.  Maybe I’ll find an answer along the way, maybe I won’t.  Let’s start with today’s Senate committee meeting highlights:

SB 13 (Pinkney) ‘…establish(es) minimum financial assistance standards for hospitals and facility-based providers. The subchapter requires full financial assistance for Delaware residents with household income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, a 75% discount above 300% and at or below 350%, and a 50% discount above 350% and at or below 400%, and requires each hospital to maintain a medical hardship policy providing a 50% minimum discount with an income ceiling of at least 500% of the federal poverty level.’  Betcha the Delaware Healthcare Association isn’t endorsing this one.  Health & Social Services.

SB 319 (Poore) ‘requires individual health insurance plans, group and blanket health insurance plans, the state employee health plan, and state Medicaid insurance to cover medically necessary diagnostic services and treatment for menopause, perimenopause, and symptoms of menopause or perimenopause…’  Health & Social Services.

SB 313 (Mantzavinos) ‘protects Delaware’s nonprofit acute care hospitals from acquisition by entities other than charities or not-for-profit entities during a moratorium period. It also permanently subjects the sale or encumbrance of primary facility real estate of a nonprofit acute care hospital to the Attorney General notice and review requirements of the Conversion Act…This ensures that the Attorney General’s oversight cannot be circumvented by structuring transactions through shell entities or intermediaries.’  Interesting…sounds like there’s something insidious going on that this bill seeks to stop in its tracks. Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology.

SB 314 (Poore) ‘provides that in any prosecution for any degree of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse, unlawful sexual penetration or unlawful sexual contact, any evidence that the complaining witness made a false accusation of unlawful sexual conduct against any person on another occasion is inadmissible unless it complies with the procedure set forth in § 3508 of Title 11, is relevant and is material to a fact in issue in the case, and the inflammatory or prejudicial nature of the evidence does not outweigh the probative value of the evidence.’  Judiciary.

SB 322 (Sokola) ‘repeals the ability of school districts to increase tax rates by up to 10% when recalculating the district’s rate of taxation after a general reassessment.’  Mediawatch, others, whaddayathink? Education.

Well, that wasn’t so bad.  I’m relieved.  What’s that? I haven’t covered today’s House Committee meetings?  Getting more coffee…

HB 409 (K. Williams) ‘adds knowingly “operating”, “conducting”, or “advertising” prostitution businesses as acts that constitute promoting prostitution in the second degree under under § 1352 of Title 11. This Act also defines “illicit massage establishment” and clarifies that a person may be guilty of promoting prostitution in the second degree under § 1352 of Title 11 for managing, supervising, and controlling an illicit massage establishment. Likewise, under this Act, a person may be guilty of promoting prostitution in the second degree for operating, conducting, or advertising an illicit massage establishment.’   OK, quite awhile back, Sen. Blevins sponsored and passed what I considered a state-of-the-art package of bills designed to combat human trafficking.  The large number of ‘Asian massage establishments’ were key targets as they have had empirical links to sex trafficking.  For reasons I honestly don’t understand, enforcement of those bills was notably lacking.  Maybe this bill will help, maybe it won’t.  Judiciary.

HB 419 (Griffith) ‘provides that a child is automatically eligible for Purchase of Care upon placement in foster care.’  Health & Human Development.

HS 2/HB 284 (Yearick) ‘doubles the childcare and dependent care expense tax credit for resident households with federal adjusted gross income of less than $60,000 and makes that credit refundable.’ Health & Human Development.

This should give you something to chew on.