Through the remainder of the year in this space, ASA will recap the association’s efforts in successfully defeating or significantly mitigating proposed legislation that would have harmed the staffing industry.
Earlier this year, the Delaware House of Representatives introduced HB 199, a bill aimed at regulating temporary nurse staffing agencies. Among the provisions of the bill was language authorizing the state’s health department to “establish a maximum rate temporary nurse staffing agencies can charge long-term facilities.”

Working with Delaware lobbyist Ellen Valentino of the Cornerstone Government Affairs Group, ASA met with the bill’s sponsors and House and Senate leadership to express the industry’s concerns with the legislation as written. They discussed the potential problems a rate cap system posed to the state’s long-term care community and urged the legislature to take steps to address the nursing shortage instead of installing rate caps that will just exacerbate the nursing shortage and harm patient care.

When the legislature adjourned for the year at the end of June, no action had taken place on HB 199. Because legislation carries over to the second year of the legislative session, the bill is still active. ASA lobbyists are in the process of scheduling meetings with the bill’s sponsors to see what the future may hold for HB 199 and any other bill affecting temporary nurse staffing.