FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 5262

                           C 84 L 99

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Allowing unregulated persons to perform sleep monitoring tasks.

Sponsors:  Senators Thibaudeau and Deccio.

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care

House Committee on Health Care

Background:  Respiratory care practitioner licensing provisions taking effect in July of 1998 concerned sleep technologists.  Respiratory care practitioners treat and manage patients with cardiopulmonary system deficiencies.  Sleep technologists monitor and evaluate sleep patterns and disturbances.  The respiratory care practitioner licensing provisions referenced Arelated sleep abnormalities,@ suggesting sleep monitoring tasks were within the exclusive scope of respiratory care practitioners= practice.

The revisions to the respiratory care practitioner licensing provisions were not intended to limit  the practice of sleep technologists.

The Department of Health supports a statutory correction to the statute that clarifies sleep monitoring tasks can be performed by sleep technologists, without sleep technologists obtaining a respiratory care practitioner license.

Summary:  The respiratory care practitioner=s licensing statute does not preclude sleep technologists from performing their job functions if they do not have a respiratory care practitioner=s license.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 46 0

House     96 0

Effective:  July 25, 1999