House Health - Human Development Committee Meeting

Wednesday, January 14, 2026·47m·▶ Watch / Listen

The House Health and Human Development Committee advanced all three bills on its agenda — allowing physician assistants to pronounce death and sign death certificates, closing a gap in Delaware's emergency department data collection law, and adding optometrists to the state's Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program — with no opposition voiced on any measure.

Key Actions

·HB 224 – Physician Assistants: Death Pronouncement and Death CertificatesNo Vote

+ 2 more actions

Controversies

Two-optometrist-per-year cap in HB 260

Representative Hilovsky asked why HB 260 is limited to two optometrists per year, noting that other providers in the program are not similarly capped. Representative Hilovsky responded that the limit was negotiated with DHSS specifically to achieve no fiscal note, and expressed hope that the cap could be expanded by future legislation later in the session. Representative Hilovsky responded 'That sounds sensible,' and no sustained disagreement resulted.

+ 1 more controversy

Notable Quotes

“I will never forget in my prior role as a critical care apc, I was able to pronounce and certify death during one shift at Union Hospital in Maryland. But the very next night at Christiana Hospital in Newark, I had to wait for an uncomfortable period in pregnant silence as an anxious spouse waited for closure. He needed to hear that official time of death to mark his wife succumbing to a multi year breast cancer journey.”
Bethany Mello, chair of Christiana Care's Advanced Practice Clinician Council — Mello testified in support of HB 224, which would allow physician assistants to pronounce death and sign death certificates — authority PAs currently lack in Delaware but hold in neighboring states.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Motion to release HB 224No Vote

Yes (8)Representative Chukwuocha, Representative Neal, Representative Burns, Representative Morrison, Representative Ross Levin, Representative K. Smith, Representative Snyder Hall, Representative Michael Smith

Absent (8)Representative Harris, Representative Heffernan, Representative Jones Giltner, Representative Hilovsky, Representative Hensley, Representative Postles, Representative Short, Representative Johnson (called but response not recorded in transcript)

Motion to release HB 231No Vote

Yes (8)Representative Chukwuocha, Representative Neal, Representative Burns, Representative Johnson, Representative Morrison, Representative Ross Levin, Representative Snyder Hall, Representative Michael Smith

Absent (8)Representative K. Smith (called but no response recorded), Representative Jones Giltner, Representative Hilovsky, Representative Postles, Representative Harris, Representative Heffernan, Representative Hensley, Representative Short

Motion to release HB 260No Vote

Yes (7)Representative Chukwuocha, Representative Neal, Representative Burns, Representative Johnson, Representative Ross Levin, Representative Snyder Hall, Representative Postles

Absent (9)Representative Morrison, Representative K. Smith, Representative Jones Giltner, Representative Hensley, Representative Hillocki, Representative Michael Smith, Representative Harris, Representative Heffernan, Representative Short

Motion to adjournNo Vote

Unlock the full summary

Subscribe to see all key actions, controversies, quotes, and what's next.

TranscriptPreview

Can participate either in person or virtually through the Zoom webinar. The public can participate virtually by registering through the meeting link on the General Assembly's website. Instructions for providing public comment are available on the website under this committee meeting notice and will also be shared during the public comment portion of this hearing. Written comments may be submitted to House Committee commentdelaware.gov Any comments received within 24 hours after the hearing will be included in the public record. Members of the public physically present for this meeting may sign up on the speaker list for the bill they wish to speak upon. Please note that any votes that may be taken shall be done by a roll call vote. We will be offering the bill for signatures to committee members not present. If it receives enough signatures for release from the committee, it will be reported out on the legislators website and announced on the House floor during session. Let's begin today's meeting with a roll call attendance of committee members. Present. Representative Chukwocha. Present. Representative Neal. Present. Representative Burns. Present. Representative Harris. Representative Heffernan. She did tell me that she would be absent. Representative Johnson. Representative Morrison.…

Subscribe to unlock the full transcript, summary, and search across all Delaware committee hearings.