Bill would add $10 licensing surcharge to fund nursing workforce data and grants

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.