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SB274 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE MEDICAL ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE MEDICAL ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT.

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Last action
2026-06-24
Official status
Passed By House. Votes: 37 YES 1 NO 3 ABSENT
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE MEDICAL ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE MEDICAL ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE MEDICAL ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT.
  • Enacted in 2015, Chapter 25A of Title 16, the Delaware Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment Act created a voluntary process and a document that can used by patients with serious illness or frailty to provide direction to emergency care personnel regarding the patient's preferences in regard to scope of care and treatment.
  • This Act changes the name "Delaware Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (DMOST)" under Chapter 25A of Title 16 to "Delaware Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)" to align with the national effort to create a uniform form.
  • This Act contains a savings provision so that the name change under this Act does not affect the validity or effect of DMOST forms.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-24 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 37 YES 1 NO 3 ABSENT

  2. 2026-06-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Health & Human Development) in House with 1 Favorable, 9 On Its Merits

  3. 2026-05-13 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Health & Human Development Committee in House

  4. 2026-05-12 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  5. 2026-05-05 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Health & Social Services) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 4 On Its Merits

  6. 2026-04-09 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 AND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO DELAWARE MEDICAL ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT.
Enacted in 2015, Chapter 25A of Title 16, the Delaware Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment Act created a voluntary process and a document that can used by patients with serious illness or frailty to provide direction to emergency care personnel regarding the patient's preferences in regard to scope of care and treatment.

This Act changes the name "Delaware Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (DMOST)" under Chapter 25A of Title 16 to "Delaware Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)" to align with the national effort to create a uniform form. This Act contains a savings provision so that the name change under this Act does not affect the validity or effect of DMOST forms.

This Act also revises Chapter 25A of Title 16 as follows:
• Repeals requirements that conflict with the national model law regarding a patient’s ability to limit the future authority of the patient’s authorized representative to modify the orders in the patient’s POLST form.
• Allows any healt