RESPIRATORY CARE BOARD

3750 Rosin Court, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95834 Tel: (916) 999-2190 / Fax: (916) 263-7311 / www.rcb.ca.gov

FACTS AT A GLANCE

BOARD STAFF

Executive Officer Legislative Contact Stephanie Nunez Stephanie Nunez

LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Business and Professions Code §§ 3700 – 3779 Title 16, Division 13.6, California Code of Regulations §§1399.300 – 1399.395

BUDGET ACT OF 2015: FY 2015-16:

Appropriation: $3,780,000 Authorized positions: 17.4

BOARD MEMBERS

Total Members: 9 Public Members: 4 Professional Members: 5

SUNSET REVIEW

Last review: 2013 Inoperative/Repeal date: January 1, 2018

LICENSEE STATISTICS Licensee Category Active Licensees

Respiratory Care Practitioner 23,029

FEES Respiratory Therapist ACTUAL FEE STATUTORY LIMIT

Application Fee $300 $300 Examination Fee $190 Actual cost

TOTAL INITIAL LICENSE FEES $490 –Biennial Renewal Fee $230 $330

LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

Degree/Professional Schooling Examination Continuing Education/Competency Fingerprinting Requirement YES YES YES YES

DETAILS

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The Respiratory Care Board of California (Board) licenses and regulates respiratory care practitioners. Respiratory care practitioners work under the direction of a medical director providing evaluation of, and treatment to, patients with breathing difficulties, as a result of heart, lung, and other disorders, as well as providing diagnostic, educational, and rehabilitation services.

The Board protects and serves consumers by administering and enforcing the Respiratory Care Practice Act (Act). The enabling statute to license practitioners was signed into law in 1982, which established the Respiratory Care Examining Committee (Committee).

The Committee was the eighth “allied health” profession created “within” the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California (Medical Board). Although created within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board, the Committee had sole responsibility for the enforcement and administration of the Act. At the time the Committee was established, the Medical Board had a Division of Allied Health Profession (Division) designated to oversee several allied health committees. It was believed that this additional layer of oversight, in addition to the Department of Consumer Affairs (Department), was unnecessary and ineffective. Therefore, the Division subsequently dissolved on July 1, 1994. SB 2039 (McCorquodale, Chapter 1274, Statutes of 1994) changed the name of the Committee to Board but left the Board under the jurisdiction of Medical Board. SB 1980 (Greene, Chapter 991, Statutes of 1998) removed the Board from the Medical Board’s jurisdiction.

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS – Business and Professions Code §§ 3730-3740

Respiratory Care Practitioner: Respiratory care practitioners act as a healthcare professional employed under the supervision of a medical director in the therapy, management, rehabilitation, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities that affect the pulmonary system and associated aspects of cardiopulmonary and other system functions.

Minimum Experience and Education Requirements:  Applicant must have an Associate degree and completed an education program for respiratory care from an accredited respiratory care school. The Board may waive educational requirements if the applicant has completed a one-year respiratory care program prior to July 1, 1994, and meets one of the following requirements: o Holds a current license in another state and practiced for two of three years preceding or three of four years preceding application; o Holds a current license in another state and has practiced four of the preceding five years; OR, o Has practiced five of the preceding six years in a state that does not have a license.

RECIPROCITY – Business and Professions Code § 3735

Currently, the Board recognizes and accepts the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Registered Respiratory Therapist credential in lieu of passage of the State licensing examinations. However, education requirements must also be met and background checks performed prior to license issuance. Further, verification of licensure, including discipline history, is required from each state where the applicant has been licensed.

BOARD MEMBERS* Name Appointment Expiration Date Appointment Authority/Type

Senate Confirmation

Mary Ellen Early June 1, 2019 Governor/Public Rebecca Franzoia June 1, 2016 Governor/Public NO NO

Mark Goldstein June 1, 2019 Governor/ Professional NO

Michael Hardeman June 1, 2016 Assembly/Public NO

Ronald Lewis, MD June 1, 2018 Senate/Physician NO

Judy McKeever (Vice President) June 1, 2017 Assembly/Professional NO Laura C. Romero, PhD June 1, 2017 Senate/Public NO Alan Roth (President) June 1, 2015 Assembly/Professional NO

Thomas Wagner June 1, 2018 Senate/Professional NO

* The Board consists of nine members, including four public members, four practitioner members and one physician and surgeon member. Each appointing authority, the Governor, the Senate Rules

Committee and the Speaker of the Assembly, appoints three members.

COMMITTEES

The Board has established committees to enhance the efficacy, efficiency and prompt dispatch of duties upon the Board. They are as follows:

 Executive Committee  Enforcement Committee  Outreach Committee  Professional Licensing Committee  Disaster Preparedness Committee

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

SB 525 (Nielsen, Chapter 247, Statutes of 2015) clarifies the scope of practice of respiratory care practitioners, who are licensed and regulated by the Board, including which anatomical systems fall within the scope of practice of a respiratory care practitioner, as well as for what reason gases and agents may be administered to patients. In addition, this bill further defines the scope to include administration of overlapping functions, teaching, polysomnography, and life support.

AB 1972 (Jones, Chapter 179, Statutes of 2014) aligns licensure requirements to practice respiratory care in California with new nationally developed standards, effective January 1, 2015, developed by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc.

AB 2102 (Ting, Chapter 420, Statutes of 2014) requires the Board to collect specific demographic data on their respective licensees and provide that data to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (Office) in a manner directed by the Office.

SB 305 (Lieu, Chapter 516, Statutes of 2013) extends the sunset date of the Board to January 1, 2018, and provides that employees working for Los Angeles County hospitals that have performed pulmonary function tests for 15 years are exempt from the Board’s jurisdiction.