HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5262

                      As Passed House:

                        April 8, 1999

Title:  An act relating to an exemption to allow unregulated persons to perform sleep monitoring tasks.

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

Sponsors:  Senators Thibaudeau and Deccio.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Health Care:  3/18/99, 4/1/99 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  4/8/99, 96-0.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Allows persons other than licensed respiratory care therapists to perform sleep monitoring tasks when under the supervision or direction of a licensed health care provider.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Cody, Democratic Co-Chair; Parlette, Republican Co-Chair; Pflug, Republican Vice Chair; Schual-Berke, Democratic Vice Chair; Alexander; Boldt; Campbell; Conway; Edmonds; Mulliken and Ruderman.

Staff:  John Welsh (786-7133).

Background:

Respiratory care practitioners are licensed to treat and manage patients with cardiopulmonary system deficiencies under the direction of  physicians.  The scope of practice includes the diagnostic monitoring of and therapeutic interventions for related sleep disorders.  No person may practice respiratory care without being qualified and licensed as a respiratory care practitioner.

The unregulated profession of sleep technologists monitor and evaluate sleep patterns and disturbances.

The enactment of the respiratory care licensure act in 1997, with its exclusive scope of practice,  prohibits a sleep technologist from performing sleep monitoring tasks without holding a license as a respiratory care practitioner.

Summary of Bill:

A person may perform sleep monitoring tasks under the supervision or direction of a licensed health care provider without being licensed as a respiratory care practitioner.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill corrects an inadvertent mistake in the 1997 respiratory care licensing act, prohibiting anyone other than a licensed respiratory care practitioner from practicing sleep monitoring tasks.  Sleep technologists are trained to perform this service, and routinely performed it prior to the 1997 act.  This bill will allow sleep technologists to continue to perform sleep monitoring tasks.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (support) Senator Thibaudeau, prime sponsor; and Jeff Larsen, Washington Academy of Physician Assistants.