Bill > S160

This bill updates North Carolina's laws governing respiratory care professionals by introducing a new category called "advanced respiratory care practitioners" (ARCPs) and establishing more comprehensive regulations for the profession. The bill defines ARCPs as licensed professionals who have completed a postgraduate advanced practice respiratory therapy program and can perform advanced respiratory care procedures under physician supervision, with clear limitations on their scope of practice. Key provisions include expanding the North Carolina Respiratory Care Board from 9 to 10 members, establishing new licensure requirements for both standard respiratory care practitioners and advanced practitioners, mandating criminal background checks for applicants, creating rules for endorsement and advanced procedures, and implementing confidentiality protections for investigative information. The bill also specifies that ARCPs cannot perform medical diagnoses, prescribe medications, interpret medical imaging, perform surgery, or conduct highly invasive procedures without direct physician supervision. Additionally, the bill requires self-reporting of certain arrests and provides mechanisms for information sharing between licensing boards while protecting patient identities. The changes are intended to modernize the profession's regulations, reflecting evolving medical practices and the increased demands placed on healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, with implementation set to begin on October 1, 2025.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S160