Existing law, the Respiratory Care Practice Act, establishes the Respiratory Care Board of California to license and regulate respiratory care practitioners. The act establishes requirements for licensure, including completing an education program for respiratory care and being awarded an associate degree or equivalent, as specified.

Existing law generally prohibits an applicant from being licensed under the act without first successfully passing the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination, at the cut-off level required to qualify for the Clinical Simulation Examination, and the Clinical Simulation Examination, or any succeeding examinations.

This bill would revise the above provision to instead prohibit an applicant from being licensed under the act without first successfully passing the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Respiratory Therapy Examination, at the cut-off level required to qualify for the Registered Respiratory Therapist credential, or any succeeding examinations.