Delaware committee releases bill to bar AI systems from using protected clinical titles
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Summary
The House Sunset Committee on Jan. 23 released House Bill 191 to clarify that nonhuman entities, including AI systems, may not hold professional health-care licenses or use protected titles; supporters said the measure protects patient safety while allowing AI as a support tool.
The House Sunset Committee voted to release House Bill 191 on Jan. 23, a measure that would amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code to specify that nonhuman entities — including artificial intelligence systems — may not be licensed to practice medicine, nursing or as physician assistants, nor represent themselves using protected clinical titles.
The proposal, sponsored by Speaker Melissa Minor Brown and presented to the committee by the chair, aims to preserve clinical judgment and accountability with licensed human clinicians while permitting AI to remain a decision-support tool. "In short, clinical judgment and accountability must remain with licensed professionals," the chair told the panel as she outlined the bill's intent.
Supporters from hospitals, nursing groups and insurers told the committee the change is a patient-safety and transparency measure. "By clarifying that nonhuman entities may not hold professional titles or licenses, we ensure that Delaware's health care workforce and the families they serve can retain certainty that their care is and will be provided by trained, accountable, licensed human professionals," said Kristen Dwyer, external affairs manager for Nemours Children's Health.
Lincoln Willis, reading a letter submitted by the Medical Society of Delaware, called HB 191 "a patient safety and transparency measure" and noted collaborative drafting with nursing and hospital organizations. Christopher Otto, executive director of the Delaware Nurses Association, said nurses embrace AI for nonclinical tasks but want patients to know whether they are interacting with a human clinician: "This is not a bill... to stifle or limit innovation or integration of artificial intelligence into health care," he said, urging the committee to release the bill.
Committee members were told the bill does not ban AI in health care, research, or innovation; rather, it draws a boundary so patients know who provides care and who is accountable. The chair cited a news report in which an AI character provided a provider license number without the provider's knowledge to illustrate the risk of misrepresentation.
After public testimony from representatives of Nemours Children's Health, the Delaware Health Care Association, the Medical Society of Delaware, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Delaware Healthcare Facilities Association and the Delaware Nurses Association, Representative Joan Skilter moved to release the bill and Representative Ortega seconded. The committee took a roll-call vote; the chair announced the bill would be released from committee and posted to the legislative website for floor consideration.
The measure was described repeatedly as preserving the role and titles of licensed professionals while allowing responsible clinical decision-support tools. The bill will be reported out on the legislative website and announced on the House floor as it moves forward.
