An Act To Amend Title 24 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The Offer Of An Ultrasound And Auscultation Services Before Terminating A Pregnancy.
Summary
SB 252 would require a health-care practitioner, before terminating a human pregnancy, to offer the patient ultrasound imaging and auscultation of fetal heart tones, except in a medical emergency. The bill specifies that the ultrasound must be an active image the patient may view and that the fetal heart tones must be offered in a medically standard manner. The patient may decline to view or listen to the services, but the practitioner must still make the offer.
The bill also requires the patient to sign a form acknowledging that the ultrasound and auscultation services were offered, and it ties proof of compliance to accreditation requirements under Title 16. The measure is titled the “Woman’s Right to Know Act” and is framed in the bill text as an informed-consent and patient-safety measure, with findings emphasizing disclosure, medical information, and the state’s authority over abortion policy after Dobbs.
Impact
SB 252 would amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code by adding a new section governing abortion-related informed consent procedures. It would impose a mandatory offer requirement on abortion providers and other authorized practitioners, create a documentation requirement through patient signature, and make compliance relevant to facility accreditation. The bill would affect abortion providers, patients seeking pregnancy termination, and potentially licensing or accreditation bodies that oversee health-care facilities.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or recorded support/opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure is presented in strongly supportive terms by its sponsors, emphasizing informed consent, patient safety, and the state’s post-Dobbs authority to regulate abortion. The absence of recorded votes or hearing discussion means the broader legislative sentiment cannot be measured from the supplied materials.
Contention
The central point of contention is likely whether the ultrasound and fetal-heart-tone offer is a genuine informed-consent safeguard or an abortion-specific burden that could pressure patients. Supporters, as reflected in the findings, argue that the bill ensures complete medical information, helps identify conditions such as ectopic pregnancy, and protects patient autonomy through informed choice. Opponents would likely focus on the requirement as an additional procedural hurdle for abortion access, the mandatory signature form, and the use of accreditation consequences to enforce compliance. The bill text itself does not include recorded objections, but those are the main policy fault lines suggested by the measure.
An Act To Amend Title 7 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Environmental Control By Repealing The Delaware Advanced Clean Car Program Under Regulation 1140 Of Title 7 Of The Delaware Administrative Code And Adopting The Delaware Low Emission Vehicle Program.