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Senate panel hears bill to join respiratory care interstate compact
Summary
The Senate Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee heard SB 216, which would allow respiratory therapists licensed in compact states to obtain a multistate privilege to practice in Delaware, with supporters saying it would ease workforce shortages and agency officials noting data on outcomes is limited.
At a hybrid meeting, the Senate Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee heard testimony on SB 216, the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, which would create a multistate licensing pathway allowing respiratory therapists privileged to practice across member states.
Senator Buxton, sponsor of the bill, said the measure "expands access to respiratory care" by allowing licensed therapists to practice across state lines, helps address workforce shortages in underserved or rural areas, and "maintains Delaware's full authority to regulate and discipline providers." He listed compact safeguards such as background checks and participation in a shared data system for accountability.
Shauna Slaughter, director of the Division of Professional Regulation, told the committee that Delaware participates in numerous compacts but many are not fully implemented until a commission is stood up after enough states join. "We are seeing a lot of telehealth" under existing compacts, Slaughter said, and some compacts enable multistate privileges even if practitioners do not physically relocate.
Christina O'Brien of the Delaware Healthcare Association told the committee that DHA supports SB 216, saying hospitals identify respiratory therapists as a workforce need and that the compact "will be helpful in ensuring we have access to as many [providers] as possible." Keith Tucout, policy analyst with the Council of State Governments, offered technical assistance and said the group developed the compacts under a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense.
Committee members asked whether the compact would transfer patient medical records for relocating military families; Buxton and Slaughter said the bill is focused on licensure portability and workforce mobility rather than on moving individual medical records. Slaughter said more data will be needed to assess long-term outcomes of compacts in Delaware.
No formal committee vote on SB 216 was recorded in the provided transcript segments. The committee indicated staff and the Division of Professional Regulation could follow up on remaining technical questions.
The hearing then proceeded to a related compact, SB 217 (cosmetology).
