DEL.Regulation
Delaware governor signs SB 249 creating licensed harm reduction program framework
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed Senate Bill 249 on September 30, 2026, as 85 Del. Laws ch. 536, effective on signing. It adds Chapter 48 to Title 16, letting the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health license harm reduction programs under evidence-based regulations. Programs must offer sterile supplies, drug-checking equipment, opioid antagonists and disease screening, and personal possession of drug paraphernalia is decriminalized.
Enrolled text (Delaware General Assembly) → · State of Delaware News
Key points
- Creates Chapter 48 of Title 16; the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health may adopt evidence-based regulations to license and run programs.Delaware General Assembly
- Programs must distribute sterile supplies, drug-checking equipment, opioid antagonists, and STD barriers, and provide screening, wound care, and referrals.Delaware General Assembly
- Personal-use items like syringes and pipes are exempted from the paraphernalia definition, decriminalizing personal possession.Delaware General AssemblyDelaware General Assembly
- Manufacturing, delivering or selling paraphernalia is a class G felony; delivering it to a minor is a class E felony.Delaware General Assembly
- Participants may join programs anonymously; their records are confidential and not discoverable in legal proceedings.Delaware General Assembly
- The act took effect on signing, Sept. 30, 2026, and is published as 85 Del. Laws ch. 536.Delaware General Assembly