SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5262

                As Passed Senate, March 3, 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 & Long‑Term Care:  1/25/99 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/3/99, 46-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Thibaudeau, Chair; Wojahn, Vice Chair; Deccio, Franklin, Winsley.

Staff:  Joan K. Mell (786-7447)

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 "related sleep abnormalities," suggesting sleep monitoring tasks were within the exclusive scope of respiratory care practitioner's 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 of Bill:  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.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 22, 1999.

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

Testimony For:  The respiratory care practitioner licensing amendments were not intended to preclude sleep technologists from performing sleep monitoring tasks.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Bonnie Robertson, BRPT; PRO:  Jerry Luedke, Jeff Larsen, Respiratory Care Society of WA; Pat Brown, DOH; Carl Nelson, WSMA.