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Senate committee rejects respiratory-care interstate compact after sovereignty concerns
Summary
The Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee voted 5-4 against sending Senate Bill 1136 — a proposal to join an interstate compact to ease licensure portability for respiratory therapists — after members raised concerns that commission rules could override state authority.
The Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee on March 3, 2025, declined to advance Senate Bill 11‑36, a bill to adopt the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact (RCIC), after a roll-call vote resulted in five nays and four ayes.
The compact would have allowed licensed respiratory therapists from compact member states to practice across state lines without obtaining separate Idaho licensure, proponents said. Senator Carl Bjerke, the bill sponsor, told the committee the compact would “facilitate multi state practice through enhanced license portability” and improve patient access, especially in border towns and for relocating military families.
Supporters framed the proposal as a workforce and access measure. Dr. Megan Koster, a respiratory therapist and delegate for the Idaho Society of Respiratory Care, said the compact would…
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