Delaware has passed legislation to participate in an interstate agreement designed to make it easier for respiratory therapists to work across state boundaries.
The newly enacted law establishes Delaware’s participation in the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, which aims to streamline licensing requirements for healthcare professionals in this field. The agreement will become active once seven states have passed similar legislation.
According to the legislative documentation, five states have already enacted this compact as of January 2026, while six additional states have introduced comparable bills.
The compact addresses challenges faced by the nation’s roughly 130,000 licensed respiratory therapists, who currently encounter substantial obstacles when attempting to provide care in states other than where they originally obtained their licenses. These barriers persist even when practitioners meet all necessary qualifications to work in different states.
The new agreement is designed to remove unnecessary licensing obstacles that prevent multi-state practice while simultaneously strengthening public safety through improved information sharing between state regulatory bodies.
