Delaware SB 281 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TECHNICAL UPDATES FOR THE DELAWARE HOSPITAL FOR THE CHRONICALLY ILL.
Delaware, 153. SB 281: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TECHNICAL UPDATES FOR THE DELAWARE HOSPITAL FOR THE CHRONICALLY ILL.
Latest action
September 17, 2026 — Signed by Governor
Summary
The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), through the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD), operates the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill (DHCI), a Long-Term Care (LTC) facility in Smyrna, Delaware. DHCI is a facility of last resort for Delawareans that require a skilled nursing facility level of care and have no viable options for private nursing facility care. The Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill’s name no longer reflects the dignity of all residents who live there. The existing statute uses outdated and offensive language, often referring to residents as “inmates.” It does not align with current policies and procedures around operation and maintenance of DHCI or the skilled care, screening, and admission of its residents, nor does it recognize DHCI’s role as a skilled nursing facility that maintains a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This bill provides a technical update to reflect DHCI’s current practices, policies and procedures as a LTC facility of last resort. It strikes outdated language and aligns the statute with current DHCI, state, CMS practices and requirements. Finally, this bill renames the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill to the Eleanor Cain Center. It will be named in honor of Eleanor Lee Cain, who served as the DSAAPD director from 1973 to 2001 and was a champion for older adults.
Sponsors
- Trey Paradee — primary sponsor
- Claire Snyder-Hall — primary sponsor
- William Bush — primary sponsor
- William J. Carson — primary sponsor
- Russell Huxtable — primary sponsor
- Marie Pinkney — primary sponsor
- Ray Seigfried — primary sponsor
- David P. Sokola — primary sponsor
- David L. Wilson — primary sponsor
- Laura V. Sturgeon — primary sponsor
Bill text
Bill Text Read version ↗ Read version ↗
SA 1 to SB 281 Read version ↗ Read version ↗
Recorded votes
SM
May 5, 2026 · Senate · pass
yes: 21 · no: 0 · other: 0
Official vote source ↗Individual member positions (21)
| Member | Vote |
|---|---|
| Darius J. Brown | yes |
| Eric Buckson | yes |
| Daniel Cruce | yes |
| Stephanie L. Hansen | yes |
| Gerald W. Hocker | yes |
| Kyra L. Hoffner | yes |
| Russell Huxtable | yes |
| Dave G. Lawson | yes |
| S. Elizabeth Lockman | yes |
| Spiros Mantzavinos | yes |
| Trey Paradee | yes |
| Brian Pettyjohn | yes |
| Marie Pinkney | yes |
| Nicole Poore | yes |
| Bryant L. Richardson | yes |
| Ray Seigfried | yes |
| David P. Sokola | yes |
| Laura V. Sturgeon | yes |
| Bryan Townsend | yes |
| John "Jack" Walsh | yes |
| David L. Wilson | yes |
3/5
June 16, 2026 · House · pass
yes: 37 · no: 1 · other: 3
Official vote source ↗Individual member positions (41)
| Member | Vote |
|---|---|
| Alonna Berry | yes |
| Stephanie T. Bolden | yes |
| Frank Burns | yes |
| William Bush | yes |
| William J. Carson | yes |
| Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha | yes |
| Richard G. Collins | yes |
| Franklin D. Cooke | yes |
| Daniel B. Short | yes |
| Timothy D. Dukes | yes |
| Mara Gorman | yes |
| Ronald E. Gray | yes |
| Krista Griffith | yes |
| Kerri Evelyn Harris | yes |
| Debra Heffernan | yes |
| Kevin S Hensley | yes |
| Jeff Hilovsky | no |
| Valerie Jones Giltner | yes |
| Kendra Johnson | yes |
| Kimberly Williams | yes |
| Kamela T Smith | yes |
| Larry Lambert | yes |
| Sean M. Lynn | other |
| Michael F. Smith | yes |
| Melissa Minor-Brown | yes |
| Shannon Morris | yes |
| Eric Morrison | yes |
| DeShanna U Neal | yes |
| Josue O Ortega | other |
| Edward S. Osienski | yes |
| Sophie Phillips | yes |
| Charles S Postles Jr. | other |
| Cyndie Romer | yes |
| Melanie Ross Levin | yes |
| Sherae'a Moore | yes |
| Bryan W. Shupe | yes |
| Claire Snyder-Hall | yes |
| Jeffrey N. Spiegelman | yes |
| Jesse R. Vanderwende | yes |
| Madinah Wilson-Anton | yes |
| Lyndon D. Yearick | yes |
Legislative history
- Signed by Governor
- Passed By House. Votes: 37 YES 1 NO 3 ABSENT
- Reported Out of Committee (Health & Human Development) in House with 9 On Its Merits
- Assigned to Health & Human Development Committee in House
- Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
- Amendment SA 1 to SB 281 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
- Reported Out of Committee (Health & Social Services) in Senate with 6 Favorable
- Amendment SA 1 to SB 281 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
- Introduced and Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate
State and local records are supplied by Plural Open (Open States), with links to original legislative sources. Coverage and update times vary. A vote passing one chamber does not mean a bill became law. State source changes are checked hourly; some detailed records may appear later because of source limits.