HB 5794 Summary

• Increases respiratory therapist licensure fees: application processing fee from $20 to $75, annual license fee from $75 to $82.70, and adds new limited license fee of $27.50.

• Establishes limited license for respiratory therapist students and recent graduates, valid for up to one year with potential one-time renewal, requiring supervision by a licensed respiratory therapist.

• Expands definition of respiratory care services to explicitly include eight categories of activities (observation, administration of agents, blood/gas analysis, treatment plan development, mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, emergency procedures, and specialized therapies).

• Permits respiratory care services to be ordered by "qualified licensed practitioners" in addition to physicians, allowing greater flexibility in prescribing authority while maintaining patient safety requirements.

• Requires continuing education for license renewal: 15 clock hours of approved courses or passage of professional examinations (National Board for Respiratory Care exams or equivalent), excluding basic life support and employer-specific training.