Applications for all licenses and/or all license renewals issued pursuant to this chapter shall include a section requesting optional data on the race and ethnic background of the applicant. Only aggregate data on race and ethnic background may be disseminated by the department of health. The data obtained from the response to such section shall be tabulated by the board of nurse registration and nursing education. The data obtained from the response to such section shall remain confidential and can be released only in the aggregate. The applicant shall in no way be required to provide the information.