# Delaware SB 12: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE PRE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2025. Delaware SB 12, AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE PRE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2025., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) Senate bill sponsored by Bryan Townsend (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-08-25 (Signed by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB12-153 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Delaware SB 12 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE PRE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2025. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-05-15 - Last action: 2025-08-25, Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Bryan Townsend (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 14 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (59 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 9 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Advance warning protects patients with approved care: benefit, low. These protections cover policies issued, renewed, changed, or reissued after December 31, 2026. Plans must give at least 60 days' written notice before introducing or changing prior approval requirements or restrictions. Notice goes to patients already approved for the affected service and its cont… - Faster care approval decisions for patients: benefit, low. These rules cover Delaware policies issued, renewed, changed, or reissued after December 31, 2026. Review entities must decide complete routine-care requests within 3 business days through the law's standard electronic service, or 5 otherwise. The old limits were 5 and 8 business days; medicine req… - Longer approvals and fewer repeat patient requests: benefit, low. For policies issued, renewed, changed, or reissued after December 31, 2026, care approvals must last a reasonable, customary period. The minimum rises from 60 to 90 days after the provider receives approval, subject to continued coverage, eligibility, and properly notified policy changes. Plans gen… - No approval hurdle for qualifying patient transport: benefit, low. The law bars prior approval requirements for medically necessary transport between care facilities in a specific situation. The health plan must have determined that a lower level of care is clinically appropriate. This protection applies to policies issued, renewed, changed, or reissued after Dece… - Patients get clearer appeals and weekend reviews: benefit, low. For policies issued, renewed, changed, or reissued after December 31, 2026, patients get at least 30 days to appeal denials. Review entities must accept appeals in writing, electronically, or by phone and notify patients and submitting providers within 15 days. If more records are needed, entities… - Qualified clinicians review patient denials and appeals: benefit, low. These safeguards cover complete requests under policies issued, renewed, changed, or reissued after December 31, 2026. A U.S.-licensed doctor must make denials of doctor-submitted requests, with relevant specialty expertise or consultation with a qualified provider. Pay for the reviewing doctor and… - New Medicaid contracts include feasible approval protections: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, Delaware's health department must include these approval rules in new Medicaid-related carrier contracts when feasible. The duty applies to contracts awarded after the effective date. This contracting rule does not change who qualifies for Medicaid or benefit amounts. - State employee plans must follow approval protections: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, Delaware's State Employee Benefits Committee must ensure state employee health plan carriers follow these approval rules. This gives the committee responsibility for enforcing compliance by carriers serving those group plans. - New online approval tools and provider rules: mixed, low. By January 1, 2027, plans and review entities must accept electronic approval requests and reply through the same submission method. Provider portals must offer request submission, medical policies, peer-to-peer review information, clinical and administrative contacts, forms, and outage instruction… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bryan Townsend (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: William J. Carson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mara Gorman (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Krista Griffith (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kyra L. Hoffner (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Melissa Minor-Brown (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Eric Morrison (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Nicole Poore (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Bryant L. Richardson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Cyndie Romer (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Melanie Ross Levin (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ray Seigfried (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: David P. Sokola (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-25 | House | Passed (SM required) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2025-05-15 | Senate | Passed (SM required) | pass | 20 | 0 | | ## Actions (10) - 2025-08-25: Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2025-06-25: Passed By House. Votes: 39 YES 1 ABSENT 1 VACANT (House) - 2025-06-10: Reported Out of Committee (Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce) in House with 9 On Its Merits (House) - 2025-05-20: Assigned to Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee in House (House) - 2025-05-15: Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Amendment SA 1 to SB 12 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Amendment SA 1 to SB 12 - Introduced and Placed With Bill (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Lifted From Table in Senate (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Suspension of Rules in Senate (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Introduced and Laid on Table in Senate (Senate) ## Bill text - Current, 2025-05-15: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=142319&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related bills - HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST LICENSURE ACT. (passed house) - HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS. (signed) - SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (vetoed) - HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed) - SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. (vetoed) - HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND EQUIPMENT. (failed) ## Sources - [Current (HTML)](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=142319&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related - [HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HS1FORHB449-153) - [HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB357-153) - [SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB279-153) - [HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB393-153) - [SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB231-153) - [HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB356-153) - [Delaware bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware/bills) - [Delaware state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB12-153 (as of 2026-10-12).