Votes at a glance: bills on confidentiality, background checks, tianeptine, and Millsboro charter advance

The Delaware House of Representatives on March 20, 2025, handled multiple bills on third reading. Lawmakers passed or advanced measures on insurance confidentiality, expanded employment background checks in the Department of Labor, a drug-scheduling change for tianeptine, and a local-charter change for Millsboro; one bill was stricken from the calendar.

House Bill 74 (sponsored by Representative Bush) clarified confidentiality protections for client information that an insurance carrier provides to the insurance commissioner during an examination. Representative Bush described the measure as “further clarification of the confidentiality that when [an] insurance carrier provides client information to the insurance commissioner for an examination that it is protected.” The roll call on HB 74 recorded 34 yes, 7 absent; the House declared the bill passed.

House Bill 20 (sponsored by Representative Ozinski and cosponsors) expands criminal background checks to Department of Labor employees, contractors and subcontractors who have access to confidential workers’ compensation secondary injury fund records, and to vocational rehabilitation counselors. The sponsor said the change followed a fraud incident at the Department of Labor and enables continuous monitoring through a program described in debate as a “RAFFAC” program that would check criminal charges on employees. The roll call on HB 20 recorded 36 yes, 5 absent; the bill passed the House.

House Bill 21 (sponsored by Representative Williams) would classify the unregulated drug tianeptine as a Schedule I controlled substance, making possession, sale and distribution illegal in Delaware. Representative Williams said the bill was prompted by a public-health alert from the Poison Control Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and local reports: “There are 15 cases reported to them over the previous year, 12 in PA and 3 in Delaware.” She said the measure had support from the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, State Police, Department of Justice, the Medical Society of Delaware and the Delaware Health Care Association. The roll call on HB 21 recorded 36 yes, 5 absent; two-thirds majority was noted as required and the vote passed.

House Bill 41 (sponsored by Representative Collins) amends the charter of the town of Millsboro to give the town council a larger role in annexation decisions and in appointing committees; the sponsor said the change does not alter annexation rules, only internal town governance. The roll call on HB 41 recorded 36 yes, 5 absent; the House passed the bill.

Representative Short moved to strike House Bill 28 from the calendar; the clerk recorded HB 28 as stricken.

Where roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript, they are summarized above. The official journal and enrolled bills will record formal vote details and any amendments.