House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee Meeting

Tuesday, March 24, 2026·1h 0m·▶ Watch / Listen

The House Economic Development, Banking, Insurance & Commerce Committee advanced two bills — reducing the suicide exclusion window in life insurance policies from two years to one and establishing a blockchain and digital innovation task force — while the outcome of a bill anchoring federal disability protections into Delaware state law remained unclear, and a rewrite of Delaware's alcohol code was deferred to a future meeting without being heard.

Key Actions

·HB 299 – Life Insurance Suicide Exclusion PeriodNo Vote

+ 3 more actions

Controversies

Whether HB 299 meaningfully helps people with significant medical histories obtain life insurance coverage

Representative D. Short argued that individual life insurance policies are medically underwritten through the Medical Insurance Bureau and that anyone with significant medical history would either be denied coverage or have their policy rated up, concluding that HB 299 'doesn't solve anything for individual policies with anybody that has any significant medical history' and that only group policies are guaranteed-issue. Representative Morrison countered by stating that 'the Delaware Department of Insurance is very confident that this will have absolutely no negative impact upon insurance companies or upon policyholders.'

+ 1 more controversy

Notable Quotes

“To suggest it is common in the least for individuals to take out life insurance policies with plans to die by suicide. And is not just unsubstantiated. It is hurtful and insulting to anyone who has suffered with suicidal ideation, their loved ones or the loved ones of individuals who have died by suicide.”
Representative Morrison — Morrison was rejecting the argument that reducing the suicide exclusion period from two years to one would incentivize people to purchase life insurance with plans to die by suicide.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Motion to release HB 299 — An act to amend Title 18 of the Delaware Code relating to life insurance policy exclusions and restrictions based on death resulting from suicideNo Vote

Yes (8)Chair Bush, Vice Chair Carson, Representative Berry, Representative Gray, Representative Lambert, Representative Ross Levin, Representative Short, Representative Wilson Anton

No (2)Representative Hensley, Representative Short

Absent (1)Representative Griffith

Motion to release SCR 143 — Establishing the Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task ForceNo Vote

Yes (11)Chair Bush, Vice Chair Carson, Representative Berry, Representative Gray, Representative Hensley, Representative Lambert, Representative Ross Levin, Representative Smith, Representative Snyder Hall, Representative Wilson Anton, Representative Yurich

Absent (2)Representative Griffith, Representative Short

Motion to release SB 198 — An act to amend Title 6 of the Delaware Code relating to equal accommodationsNo Vote

Yes (11)Chair Bush, Vice Chair Carson, Representative Berry, Representative Gray, Representative Lambert, Representative Ross Levin, Representative Short, Representative Smith, Representative Snyder Hall, Representative Wilson Anton, Representative York

Unlock the full summary

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

TranscriptPreview

I think it's. Yeah, yeah, that chair was hiding that one. Sa. Presents Vice Chair Carson President Representative Barry Representative Gray President Representative Griffith Representative Harris Representative Hensley President Representative Lambert President of Ross Levin President Representative Short Representative Shute Representative Smith Representative Snyder Hall President President of Wilson Anton of Yurik okay, here. All right. Seeing there's enough members present, moving forward, we're going to start. We're going to move down the agenda a little bit. The House item number. A lot of clicking and beeping. Well, whoever is winning the game, This is what main events go. Totally fine. For those without kids, you'll understand after this hearing. If you don't have children, you should. How are you? Yeah, the newer. Like they look like a. I think he looks a little more like me. Online, we are going to temporarily shut down the audio and the zoom and we're going to bring it back up so we don't have the technical problems we're having right now. Sa. Testing. Yes, I can hear you. Awesome. Good to go. Sorry about that, everyone. I truly apologize. And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Representative. Representative Morrison,…

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