Eight bills were discussed and passed through the Senate Thursday and are heading to Gov. John Carney’s desk for signature in what is the last week of the legislative session. Here’s what is set to become law: House Bill 65, also sponsored by Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Brandywine Hundred South, provides state employees who suffer a miscarriage, stillbirth or other loss, …
Allowing abortion workers to mask addresses OK’d by Senate
The Senate passed bills Tuesday pertaining to confidentiality for abortion providers, minority party representation on an emergency health committee and payouts for employment discrimination. Senate Bill 158, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Arden, focuses on confidentiality rights for medical providers. The bill allows anyone who is a reproductive health care services provider or employee to apply for participation in …
AG Jennings announces abortion hotline
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision that gave individual states the power to regulate abortion, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings on Monday announced a hotline Delawareans and out-of-staters can call to answer questions about abortion access in the First State. Those with questions about abortion access can call (302) 992-8096 or toll-free at (877) 312-2366. A …
DOJ wins challenge to Seaford ‘fetal tissue’ law
A Delaware court has overturned a Seaford law that would have required anyone who had an abortion or miscarriage to pay to bury or cremate the fetal tissue. Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled Wednesday morning that Seaford, as a junior sovereign, cannot enact a law that conflicts directly with law established by …
Bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks fails in committee
A bill to ban abortions that occur 20 or more weeks after fertilization failed in a Delaware Senate committee Tuesday. Senate Bill 235, dubbed the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” asserts that fetuses are capable of experiencing pain around 20 weeks after fertilization. Advancements in medical science and technology have moved the point of viability forward necessitating additional protections for …
House bill aims to expand abortion protections
Democratic lawmakers filed legislation Thursday they say will improve the availability of abortions and protect patients and providers from facing legal action under other states’ abortion laws. Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, D-New Castle, Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, and Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Talleyville, announced the legislation in the wake of a leaked draft opinion suggesting the United States Supreme Court may …
Medical privacy bill threatens parental rights, GOP reps say
All 15 Republican state representatives have taken a stand against a bill they say is designed to usurp parental authority. House Bill 400, sponsored by Rep. Krista Griffith, D-Fairfax, would allow dependents on insurance policies – adults and children – to receive “confidential sensitive health care services” without notifying the policyholder. The bill has been dubbed the “Delaware Patient Privacy …
Seaford mayor pushes back against AG’s fetal remains lawsuit
Seaford Mayor David Genshaw says the ordinance has nothing to do with a woman’s right to get an abortion. Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings on Tuesday filed suit against the City of Seaford in the state’s Court of Chancery over an ordinance relating to the manner by which abortion clinics must dispose of fetal remains. Now, Seaford’s mayor and city …