Women and Families
Whether it is as caregiver, breadwinner, essential worker, CEO, or in so many other vital roles, the contribution of women to our society and economy cannot be overstated. Often times, it takes someone who has lived experiences to bring those perspectives to the crafting of great legislation to move us forward as a society. I remember the years as a single mother attending law school to make a better life for my family and I have learned the value of hard work and persistence. Today as a mother of three, stepmother of two, and grandmother of five, I bring the lessons of those years along with the compassion to understand the circumstances of others to my work as a State Senator. There is still so much to do, but together we are making a difference.
A few of the bills that I have sponsored and which are now law include:
Equal Rights Constitutional Amendment (Prime Senate Sponsor of HB 399 in the 149th GA and HB 1 in the 150th GA). This is an amendment to the Delaware Constitution to provide equal rights on the basis of sex.
Eliminating pay disparities based on gender or race (Prime sponsor of SCR 43, 151st GA) This resolution directs an equity review and analysis for every employee new hire or new promotion across State Executive Branch agencies to determine whether there are gender or racial inequities utilizing the State’s advanced starting salary procedure and develop a plan to remedy any inequities.
Improving pregnancy outcomes for women and newborns (Co-sponsor of SB 201, 150th GA) This Act creates the Delaware Perinatal Quality Collaborative to improve pregnancy outcomes for women and newborns by addressing such issues as obstetrical blood loss management, pregnant women with substance use disorder, and infants impacted by neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Increased access to birth control (Co-sponsor of SB 105; 151st GA) As supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this law allows pharmacists to administer or dispense contraceptives under a standing order from the Division of Public Health without a prescription from another health-care practitioner.
Aging-in-Place Working Group (Co-sponsor of SCR 44; 151st GA) Creation of an Aging-in-Place Working Group that will develop a plan to guide policies designed to promote successful aging-in-place for seniors in Delaware.
Providing services for the developmentally disabled (Prime sponsor of SCR 62; 149th GA and SB 162; 151st GA) Sen. Hansen created and led a large task force of providers, advocates, and government representatives to identify and resolve outstanding service issues associated with the provision of services for people with developmental disabilities.
Providing education assistance for foster children (Co-sponsor of SB 123; 151st GA). This law supports children who spent part or all of their teen years in the State's foster care system to access higher education by providing a tuition waiver program to cover the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board at a public Delaware college or university.
Providing assistance to children who experience trauma (Co-sponsor of HB 74; 150th GA) As part of the Take Care Delaware program, this bill allows police officers and emergency-care providers to send the name of a child identified at the scene of a traumatic event to their school district or charter school so that the child’s teachers can ensure the child is handled in a trauma-informed way.
Treatment of children in a Protection from Abuse proceeding (Co-sponsor of HB 141; 149th GA) This law authorizes the Family Court to interview a child outside the presence of the parties for the purpose of obtaining the child's testimony and ascertaining the truth of a matter asserted by a party to a Protection from Abuse proceeding.
Expansion of Donated Leave policy (Co-sponsor of HB 255; 149th GA) This law establishes the ability of state and school district employees to use the “donated leave” program to donate and accept annual leave and sick time for use by employees in connection with the birth or adoption of a child under the age of 6 years.
Creation of a civil remedy for revenge porn (Prime sponsor of SB 169; 150th GA). This law empowers victims to sue for damages for an increasingly common form of abuse that can cause severe and often irreversible harm: the disclosure of private, sexually explicit images without consent.
Codification of Roe v. Wade (Co-sponsor of SS 1 to SB 5; 149th GA) This bill made Delaware’s laws on abortion consistent with the scope of the right protected by the United States Constitution and the practice in Delaware for the past 43 years under Roe v. Wade. In doing so, this Act permits the termination of a pregnancy prior to viability, to protect the life or health of the mother, or in the event of serious fetal anomaly.
Decriminalization of prior code language regarding abortion (Co-sponsor of HB 31; 151th GA) This bill repeals certain provisions in Title 11 relating to abortion including provisions which treat abortion differently than other medical procedures, and provisions which criminalize women and the sale of medical devices and medicines.
Expansion of prescribers for medication for abortion (Co-sponsor of HB 320, 151st GA) This bill allows physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to prescribe medication for the termination of pregnancy including Mifeprex, Mifepristone, and Misoprostol.
Broad expansion of protections for those providing and receiving abortion services (Co-sponsor of HB 455) This bill makes clear that physicians, physician assistants and nurses who perform, recommend, or provide reproductive health services, if such services are lawful in this State, do not engage in unprofessional conduct and cannot be disciplined for such services even if such services are illegal or considered to be unprofessional conduct or the unauthorized practice of medicine or nursing in another state. This bill also authorizes the following to terminate pregnancy before viability: (1) A physician assistant with a collaborative agreement with an appropriately training physician; and (2) A certified nurse midwife or certified nurse practitioner who demonstrates knowledge and competency, including successful completion of a training or certification approved by the Board of Nursing. Section 3. This bill prohibits a health care provider from disclosing communications and records concerning reproductive health services, but does provide exceptions including if such records are requested for the purposes of investigating a complaint against a health care provider and the records are relevant to such complaint or to if requested to investigate a claim of abuse and such records are relevant to such investigation. This bill also provides protections and limitations against civil actions from another state relating to the termination of pregnancy. Such protections and limitations include the issuance of a summons for a criminal case or investigation, and the issuance of a subpoena for information or testimony relating to the termination of pregnancy. This bill also creates a cause of action for persons against whom a judgment was entered in another state based upon allegedly providing, receiving, or helping another person to provide or receive reproductive health services that are legal in Delaware. This bill allows the person to recover damages from any party that brought the original action that resulted in the judgment or tried to enforce it. This bill limits non-fugitive extradition of someone for committing an act that results in a criminal charge for the termination of pregnancy in another state. Pursuant to this bill, a person may only be extradited if the acts for which extradition is sought are punishable under Delaware law if their consequences, as claimed by the other state, had taken effect in this state. This bill prohibits an insurer from increasing the premium or taking any adverse action against a health care professional or health care organization for performing or providing reproductive health care services that are lawful in this State and covers any medical professional who prescribes medication for the termination of human pregnancy to an out-of-state patient by means of telehealth.
