House of Representatives Legislative Session - Session 2 - 8th Legislative Day

Thursday, January 29, 2026·3h 45m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Delaware House advanced two contentious bills — Senate Bill 213 (hospital cost oversight) and Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 228 (New Castle County property tax reassessment quality control) — over notable opposition, while passing a law enforcement firearm procurement exemption unanimously and clearing a slate of commemorative resolutions.

Key Actions

·SB 213 w/ SA1 – Hospital Budget ReviewPassed

+ 11 more actions

Controversies

SB 213 – Whether the hospital spending benchmark is meaningful or a 'placebo'

Representative Jones Giltner argued the bill's spending benchmark 'is a sheer placebo' and 'a sugar pill' that will not remedy healthcare cost increases, contending that the benchmark is tied to gross state/national product rather than medical costs, that 'utilization info' on line 66 is undefined, and that Delaware has not developed the alternate payment models it is asking hospitals to participate in. Meredith Stewart Tweedy acknowledged 'utilization info' will need to be defined by regulation, and the unnamed respondent conceded that meaningful cost containment arrangements are 'technically optional.'

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“For that I think that this is a sheer placebo. It is a sugar pill. It will not remedy the cost increases that we're seeing with healthcare and you should not tell your constituents that it will.”
Representative Jones Giltner — Jones Giltner was criticizing the spending benchmark provisions of SB 213, the hospital cost oversight bill introduced to resolve the Christiana Care lawsuit, arguing the benchmark methodology is not tied to medical costs and that the state has not developed the alternate payment models it is asking hospitals to participate in.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Senate Bill 213 with Senate Amendment 1Passed

Yes (33)Berry, Bolden, Burns, Bush, Carson, Chukwuocha, Cook, Dukes, Gorman, Griffith, Harris, Heffernan, Hensley, Hilovsky, Johnson, Lambert, Lynn, Moore, Morrison, McNeil, Ortega, Osienski, Phillips, Romer, Ross levin, Short, Mr. Smith, Snider hall, Spiegelman, Vanderwin, Williams, Wilson Anton, Madam Speaker

No (7)Gray, Jones Giltner, Morrison, Postles, Short, Yearick, Collins

Absent (1)Mrs. Smith (not voting due to conflict)

Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 228 with House Amendment 2Passed

Yes (35)Berry, Bolden, Burns, Bush, Carson, Chukwuocha, Cook, Gorman, Gray, Griffith, Harris, Heffernan, Hensley, Hilovsky, Johnson, Jones Giltner, Lambert, Lynn, Moore, Morrison, Morrison, McNeil, Ortega, Osienski, Phillips, Romer, Roslyvin, Mrs. Smith, Mr. Smith, Snyder Hall, Vanderwin, Williams, Wilson Anton, Yearick, Madam Speaker

No (3)Dukes, Postles, Short

Absent (3)Collins (not voting), Short (not voting), Spiegelman (not voting due to conflict)

Senate Bill 188Passed

Yes (41)Berry, Bolden, Burns, Bush, Carson, Chukwuocha, Collins, Cook, Dukes, Gorman, Gray, Griffith, Harris, Heffernan, Hensley, Hilovsky, Johnson, Jones Giltner, Lambert, Lynn, Moore, Morrison, Morrison, McNeil, Ortega, Osienski, Phillips, Postles, Romer, Roslyvin, Short, Short, Mrs. Smith, Mr. Smith, Snyder Hall, Spiegelman, Vanderwin, Williams, Wilson Anton, Yearick, Madam Speaker

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TranscriptPreview

The House will please come to order. Members and guests, please take your seats and silence your cell phones. Mr. Chief clerk, are there any communications? Yes, madam speaker. Madam speaker, the house committee reports for january 20, 2026, part 3, natural resources and energy. House bill 233, 5 favorable, 5 on its merits. House bill 269, 1 favorable, 8 on its merits. And senate bill 210, 4 favorable, 10 on its merits. Madam speaker, this includes the reading of the communication. Thank you, Mr. Chief clerk. Leader harris. Madam speaker, I move that we adjourn the current legislative day. The house stands adjourned. The house will come to order. Mr. Chief clerk, please call the roll. Mrs. Berry. Mrs. Barry. Present. Ms. Bolden. Ms. Bolden. Absent. Mr. Burns. Mr. Burns. Present. Mr. Bush. Present. Mr. Bush. Present. Mr. Carson. Mr. Carson. President. Mr. Chikwacha. President. Mr. Chacocha. Present. Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins. Present. Mr. Cook. Present. Mr. Cook. Present. Mr. Dukes. Mr. Dukes. Present. Ms. Gorman. Ms. Gorman. Present. Mr. Gray. Present. Mr. Gray. Present. Mrs. Griffith. Mrs. Griffith. Present. Ms. Harris. Ms. Harris. Present. Mrs. Heffernan. Mrs. Heffernan.— present. Mr. Hensley. Mr. Hensley. Present. Mr. Holofsky. Mr. Hlofsky.…

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