Summary of Bills and Legislation Passed by the General Assembly

Senate Bill 229

• Clarifies and identifies those individuals who are considered to be in a position of trust
• Creates a new criminal statute for people who are in a position of trust or authority and sexually abuse children

Senate Bill 232

• Ensures that when an action to revoke or suspend a license occurs at a professional hearing, the decision is implemented immediately

Senate Bill 233

• Requires the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline to establish new guidelines, within one year, for the imposition of disciplinary actions

Senate Bill 275

• Creates additional requirements for service letters or references for doctors applying for a Delaware license
• Protects individuals from lawsuits who make a good faith effort to honestly report or file service letters
• Requires the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline to verify that applicants are not listed on Child Abuse or Adult Abuse Registries

Senate Bill 296

• Changes the name of the “Board of Medical Practice” to the “Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline”
• Increases the number of public members on the Board
• Provides the Board with the ability to expedite suspensions of medical licenses when the public’s safety is threatened
• Gives the Board the additional authority to obtain information from peer review panels, operated within each of Delaware’s hospitals

Senate Bill 297

• Increases civil penalties for persons or entities who fail to report child abuse

Senate Bill 298

• Defines unprofessional conduct, including failure of the duty to report
• Increases the fines for failure to report unprofessional conduct by a physician

House Bill 456

• Identifies when a chaperone is required when a child is being treated by a physician:
  • When the person being treated is age 15 or younger
  • When the child is undergoing certain intimate examinations

House Bill 457

• Requires that doctors, policemen, and others with enforcement authority receive training in:
  • Recognizing Child Abuse
  • Reporting Child Abuse

House Bill 458

• Changes licensure process for physicians to include background checks similar to what is required of teachers and other professionals working with children
• Requires all physicians to be fingerprinted

House Bill 459

• Strengthens and improves the oversight and reporting of unprofessional conduct by the Board of Medical Practice

House Bill 485

• Improves communication and reporting among and between state agencies