DelawareDelaware law directs removal of personal autism registry records
Delaware law provides for closing its autism registry and requires state health officials to erase personal health information by January 23, 2027.
What it does
The law provides for closing Delaware’s autism registry program, including its rules requiring healthcare providers to report children’s diagnoses and penalties for violations.
Delaware’s health department must erase the program’s personal health information by January 23, 2027, six months after the law was signed. It may keep combined statistics.
Argument forErasing personal registry records could reduce families’ privacy risks by removing children’s identifying health information from the state’s records.
Argument againstErasing individual records could limit future research that needs to follow children’s cases over time, even if combined statistics remain.
More detail
The law provides for closing Delaware’s Autism Surveillance and Registration Program. The program covers autism information about children in Delaware and reporting by healthcare providers and institutions that diagnose or treat them.
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services must erase personal health information collected through the autism registry program. The requirement covers protected health information about individuals collected under the autism registry program. The department must follow the health confidentiality rules referenced in the law. The department may keep combined statistics. The deadline applies to removing individual health information and falls six months from enactment on July 23, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jul 23Signed by Governor Matt MeyerBecame Law
- Jun 30Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YESPassed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 17Reported Out of Committee (Health & Social Services) in Senate with 4 Favorable, 3 On Its MeritsMinor
- Jun 11Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in SenateMinor
- Vote recorded Passage. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 11Passed By House. Votes: 38 YES 1 NO 2 ABSENTPassed House
- Jun 9Reported Out of Committee (Health & Human Development) in House with 10 On Its MeritsMinor
- May 14Introduced and Assigned to Health & Human Development Committee in HouseIntroduced
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