Delaware Lawmakers Introduce Maternal Health Legislation Inspired by Black Mother Forced to Give Birth on Roadside

Delaware State Senator Marie Pinkney and House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown introduced legislation to prohibit hospitals from discharging patients who are actively in labor. The bill is modeled after the federal Women Expansion of Learning and Labor Safety (WELLS) Act — introduced in Congress by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) on March 5, 2026 — and named after Mercedes Wells, a Black woman who was forced to give birth on the side of the road after being discharged from a Virginia hospital before delivery. The Delaware legislation aims to ensure continuity of care and prevent premature discharge, directly addressing one of the systemic failures contributing to the Black maternal mortality crisis.