# Delaware SB 208: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSIONALS. Delaware SB 208, AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSIONALS., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) Senate bill sponsored by Brian Pettyjohn (Republican); status failed, last action 2026-06-24 (SS 1 for SB 208 - Signed by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB208-153 - 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 208 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSIONALS. - Status: failed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-12-18 - Last action: 2026-06-24, SS 1 for SB 208 - Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Brian Pettyjohn (Republican) - Cosponsors: 18 - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 17 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Patients get notice when psychology care ends: benefit, low. Licensees must give at least 30 days’ notice before ending a patient relationship or closing without transferring records to another Delaware provider. Notice must give the service end date, record-access instructions, and area providers who may accept patients, using first-class mail and an enroll… - Record custodians help patients recover files: benefit, low. After investigating a record-access complaint, the Board can appoint a temporary or permanent records custodian. This covers access problems caused by incapacity, death, abandonment, or involuntary practice closure. Custodians must publish local newspaper notice at least monthly for 3 months after… - Existing psychology credentials keep protected status: benefit, low. Assistants registered before the law’s implementation date count as doctoral-level psychological assistants. The Board must approve use of that title. People licensed as psychologists before June 12, 1995, remain qualified as psychologists. Assistants registered before that date remain qualified as… - Psychology licensees must report provider risks: benefit, low. Psychology licensees must report reasonably suspected disciplinary conduct or unsafe practice by another licensee or health-care provider. Written reports go to the Division of Professional Regulation within 30 days after learning the information. Good-faith reporters are protected from civil or cr… - Psychology misconduct triggers broader discipline: benefit, low. Discipline rules cover psychologists, licensed psychology associates, and both assistant levels. Grounds include fraud, related crimes, ethics violations, reporting failures, out-of-state discipline, conversion-therapy conduct, and substance-related impairment. After a hearing and violation finding… - Temporary psychology providers cannot offer conversion therapy: benefit, low. Psychology providers using Delaware’s temporary-practice rule cannot provide conversion therapy to children. They also cannot refer children to another jurisdiction for that therapy. The temporary-practice route allows eligible out-of-state doctorate holders up to 6 days of services per calendar ye… - Unauthorized psychology practice carries criminal penalties: benefit, low. Psychologists and psychology associates cannot practice with expired, suspended, or revoked licenses. Practicing or using protected psychology titles without the required Delaware license or registration is a misdemeanor. A first offense carries a $500–$1,000 fine and possible imprisonment of up to… - New licenses for master’s-level psychology providers: mixed, high. The law creates a licensed psychology associate role, with independent practice limited to the provider’s master’s-level training. Applicants need an approved psychology-related master’s degree with at least 60 graduate semester hours. They also need an approved internship, at least 2 years of supe… - Psychology suspensions include hearings and return paths: mixed, high. Immediate-danger complaints can trigger emergency suspension through a written state order with required concurrence and at least 24 hours’ notice. Suspension generally lasts no more than 60 days unless the provider requests a continuance; expedited hearings require a request within 5 calendar days… - Out-of-state psychology providers gain licensing access: mixed, medium. Out-of-state doctoral psychologists and licensed psychology associates can seek Delaware licenses after 2 years of continuous practice there. They must show current credentials, meet education or equivalent-training requirements, and earn the Board’s passing psychology exam score. Degrees from outs… - Psychology applicants face checks and waiver rules: mixed, medium. Psychologist, psychology associate, and assistant applicants must pay for fingerprints and state and federal criminal-history checks. License applicants provide reports to the Board; assistant sponsors submit their applicants’ reports. The law removes a separate prelicensure provision, including it… - Psychology assistants get supervised work paths: mixed, medium. Both assistant levels must register, get Board approval to use their titles, and perform only assigned functions under direct supervision. Doctoral assistants need applicable doctoral training, internships, continuing education, and conduct standards; their psychologist supervisor needs at least 2… - Updated training rules for licensed psychologists: mixed, medium. Psychologist applicants need an approved doctorate, a Board-compliant predoctoral internship, and at least 1 year of supervised work after graduation. Accepted programs have American Psychological Association or Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System approval, or Board-approved equival… - Other professionals cannot claim psychology credentials: mixed, low. Qualified members of other professions can provide services allowed by their training, ethics, and Delaware law. They cannot use titles or descriptions implying a psychology license or assistant registration they do not hold. Clergy can provide covered ministerial services without a separate charge… - Patients gain record access with charge limits: mixed, low. Patients can obtain record copies within 45 days after the record closes or a complete record is assembled, sooner if medically necessary. Allowed charges cover scheduled copying expenses, actual postage or shipping, and full reproduction costs for specified special records. The Board reviews the c… - Psychology providers pay fees and renew biennially: mixed, low. Qualified associates receive licenses, and qualified assistants receive registrations, after meeting requirements and paying applicable fees. Licensees and registrants must renew every 2 years, pay a fee, submit a form, and prove required continuing education. Fees must reasonably reflect allowed B… - Psychology board public seats exclude professional ties: mixed, low. Public members of the psychology Board cannot currently or previously have held any covered psychology professional role. They also cannot have immediate family, past employment, or material goods-or-services business ties to those professionals. These limits govern who can fill the Board’s public… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Alonna Berry (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Eric Buckson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Frank Burns (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Timothy D. Dukes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kyra L. Hoffner (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Valerie Jones Giltner (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kimberly Williams (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael F. Smith (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Eric Morrison (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Josue O Ortega (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Edward S. Osienski (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Marie Pinkney (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Cyndie Romer (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ray Seigfried (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Claire Snyder-Hall (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: David P. Sokola (Democratic), Senate ## Actions (8) - 2026-06-24: SS 1 for SB 208 - Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2026-06-16: SS 1 for SB 208 - Passed By House. Votes: 37 YES 1 NO 3 ABSENT (House) - 2026-05-19: SS 1 for SB 208 - Reported Out of Committee (Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability)) in House with 1 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits (House) - 2026-04-09: SS 1 for SB 208 - Assigned to Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability) Committee in House (House) - 2026-03-26: SS 1 for SB 208 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT (Senate) - 2026-03-24: Substituted in Senate by SS 1 for SB 208 (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Reported Out of Committee (Legislative Oversight & Sunset) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits (Senate) - 2025-12-18: Introduced and Assigned to Legislative Oversight & Sunset Committee in Senate (Senate) ## Bill text - Current, 2025-12-18: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=142726&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=142726&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-SB208-153 (as of 2026-10-12).