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Bill > SB152
DE SB152
An Act To Amend Title 16 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Voluntary Admissions.
summary
Introduced
05/15/2025
05/15/2025
In Committee
05/15/2025
05/15/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
153rd General Assembly
Bill Summary
This Act adds that the Director or Deputy Director of the Division of Family Services may have a designee consent to voluntary admission and sign for admission to a psychiatric hospital for youth in DFS custody. This reflects best practices and matches the current process for surgical consents for youth in DFS custody, and under DFS policy, a designee may only act as a designee to take such action with the direct approval of the Director or Deputy Director.
AI Summary
This bill amends Delaware law regarding voluntary psychiatric admissions for minors, specifically expanding the authority of the Division of Family Services (DFS) in cases involving youth in their custody. Currently, only parents or legal guardians can consent to and sign for a minor's psychiatric hospital admission, but this bill allows the Director or Deputy Director of DFS to designate someone else to provide consent and sign admission paperwork when a child is in DFS custody under Chapter 25 of Title 13. This change aligns with existing practices for other medical procedures and provides more administrative flexibility for the agency. The bill modifies language throughout the relevant section to consistently include the option for a "designee" to act on behalf of the DFS Director or Deputy Director, ensuring that such designees can only act with direct approval from high-level DFS leadership. These modifications apply to both the initial admission process and potential discharge procedures, maintaining the same standards of consent and oversight for designated representatives as for parents or legal guardians.
Committee Categories
Health and Social Services
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Health & Social Services (10:00:00 6/11/2025 Senate Chamber) (on 06/11/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142322 |
| BillText | https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=142322&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2&legislationName=SB152 |
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