H.B. 667 Summary

• Adds respiratory care as an authorized service that physician assistants may prescribe or order under physician supervision, expanding PA scope of practice

• Modifies respiratory care professional licensing requirements to allow board recognition of national examinations administered by state or national organizations, eliminating board examination fees when external exams are used

• Allows respiratory care professionals to practice under protocols developed by hospitals or nursing homes with medical director approval, in addition to physician orders or certified nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist prescriptions

• Expands grounds for disciplinary action against respiratory care professionals to include substance abuse issues, misuse of dangerous drugs, and loss of licensure in other states

• Adds definitions for "nursing home," "dangerous drug," and "physician assistant" to the respiratory care licensing chapter