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Bill would add $10 licensing surcharge to fund nursing workforce data and grants
Summary
HB475 would create the Delaware Nursing Advancement Fund financed by a $10 surcharge on nursing licenses and disciplinary fines to support workforce data collection, studies and a grant to the Delaware Nurses Workforce Institute; supporters said the fund will help forecast and address projected shortages.
Senator Poore described HB475, which creates the Delaware Nursing Advancement Fund and directs the Division of Professional Regulation to impose a $10 surcharge on initial and renewal licenses for practical nurses, registered nurses and APRNs beginning in 2027. Receipts and disciplinary fines would be credited to the fund and used to issue a single annual grant to a nonprofit such as the Delaware Nurses Workforce Institute to maintain workforce data, project shortages and support planning.
Witnesses — including Christopher Otto, Susan Kennedy Buck, Kat Caudle, Carling Ryan and Cheryl Hykes — praised the proposal. Otto said the fund would help answer how many nurses are actively working in Delaware, a difficult task because of regional licensure compacts. Kat Caudle cited HRSA projections that Delaware could move from a supply‑adequate state to a shortage state by 2037, arguing that better data and investment are needed now.
Supporters said the modest licensing surcharge would provide a steady funding stream for workforce analysis and partnerships among educators, employers and policymakers. The committee heard public support and moved on to the next items without a recorded roll‑call vote.
