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Board of Nursing seeks fee increases after multi-year deficits, committee advances changes
Summary
The Board of Nursing told the Government Operations Committee that reinstated and increased fees are intended to restore the board’s operating position after policy changes that reduced initial licensure fees and years of rising costs.
The Government Operations Committee advanced rule changes on Aug. 20 that reinstate and increase several Board of Nursing fees, a move department officials said is necessary to make the board self-sufficient after several years of unusual fiscal practice and subsequent deficits.
The department’s presentation said the Board of Nursing had previously reduced initial licensure fees to zero for about six years, which, combined with rising operating costs, left the board with a diminished reserve trajectory that required corrective action. Mark Waters, general counsel for the Board of Nursing, described the earlier practice: “About 6 years ago [the board] had reduced all the initial licensure fees to 0... the first license for the first 2 year period was... free.”
Why it matters: The board licenses nurses statewide; fee levels fund investigations, contested-case hearings, staff salaries and other administrative costs that support licensing and public protection.
What presenters said: Holt Witt, assistant commissioner for legislative affairs at the Department of Health, said the board had deficits of roughly $681,000 in 2023 and roughly $1.7 million in 2024. Waters described a prior carryover that had grown to approximately $9–10 million before the fee reductions, and Witt said the board’s reserve was about $5 million based on the last fiscal year. Department staff told the committee the fee increases are expected to balance operating revenue and expenses across the licensing cycle, which typically renews on a two‑year schedule.
Questions from lawmakers focused on the cause of the deficits, the board’s reserve thresholds and whether the department’s fiscal oversight had adequate staffing. Committee members were told the department’s fiscal director position supports licensing boards and that the position is being filled; an interim director is overseeing the work.
Formal action: The committee moved the rule amendments forward with a positive recommendation; a senate roll-call recorded ayes during the hearing and the House likewise voted aye. The presenters said there was no public comment at the rulemaking hearing.
Provenance: Remarks and fiscal figures provided during the Board of Nursing presentation (transcript sections at 704.475–877.74 and roll-call recordings at 1197.2799–1214.755).
