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HB260 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH CARE COMMISSION HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH CARE COMMISSION HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.

Education Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Hilovsky
Last action
2026-03-24
Official status
Passed 3/24/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details about how the grants must be used, only that optometrists can receive them with a limit of two per year.

Adding Optometrists to Healthcare Loan Repayment Program

This act adds optometrists as eligible healthcare providers for a loan repayment program and limits the number of optometrist grants to two per year.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds optometrists to the list of health care professionals who can receive loan repayment help through the Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program.
  • Limits the number of loan repayment grants given to optometrists each year to no more than two.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Optometrists who want help paying back their student loans
  • The Delaware Health Care Commission, which runs the loan repayment program

Terms To Know

Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (HCPLRP)
A program that helps health care providers pay off their school loans if they work in certain areas.
Ambulatory and outpatient settings
Places like doctors' offices or clinics where patients come for treatment without staying overnight.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money each optometrist grant will be.
  • It is unclear when the Governor will take action on this bill after it passed the legislature.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-24 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  2. 2026-03-11 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Health & Social Services) in Senate with 7 Favorable

  3. 2026-01-20 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 38 YES 3 ABSENT

  4. 2026-01-20 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate

  5. 2026-01-14 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Health & Human Development) in House with 10 Favorable

  6. 2025-12-18 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Health & Human Development Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH CARE COMMISSION HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.
This Act adds optometrists as health care providers who are eligible for the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program and limits the number of health care loan provider repayment grants to 2 optometrists per year.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Hilovsky & Rep. Minor-Brown & Sen. Pinkney

Reps. Berry, Burns, Gorman, Gray, Hensley, K. Johnson, Lambert, Neal, Ortega, Snyder-Hall, Chukwuocha, Ross Levin, Osienski, Griffith, Kamela Smith, S. Moore, Postles, Harris; Sens. Huxtable, Mantzavinos, Pettyjohn, Richardson, Cruce, Buckson, Hansen, Wilson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 260

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH CARE COMMISSION HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 9903, Title 16 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows and by redesignating accordingly:

§ 9903. Duties and authority of the Commission.

(j) The Commission shall be responsible for the administration of a Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (HCPLRP). The HCPLRP must be administered consistent with all of the following guidelines:

(4) The award of health care provider loan repayment grants must be limited to the recruitment and retention of new primary care or dental providers in ambulatory and outpatient settings. For purposes of this paragraph (j)(4), a “new primary care or dental provider” means any of the following providers who have completed graduate education within 2 years of the application for a health care provider loan repayment grant being submitted:

a. Physicians practicing family medicine (including osteopathic general practice), internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/ gynecology, geriatrics, and psychiatry.

b. Nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, licensed psychologists, licensed professional counselors of mental health, masters of psychology, licensed clinical social workers, and physician assistants practicing adult medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry/mental health, geriatrics,

and women’s health.

women’s health, and optometrists.

c. Dental clinicians possessing a DDS or DMD and practicing general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.

(6) The Commission may award health care loan provider repayment grants to no more than 2 optometrists per year.

SYNOPSIS

This Act adds optometrists as health care providers who are eligible for the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program and limits the number of health care loan provider repayment grants to 2 optometrists per year.