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Committee approves amendment allowing supervised work by student respiratory therapists
Summary
The committee voted to adopt amendment 0037-H and recommended House Bill 85 with that amendment. The change ratifies temporary student licenses and allows second‑year respiratory therapy students to perform supervised tasks they have already learned; the bill passed the committee 13–0.
Committee members voted to adopt amendment 0037‑H to House Bill 85 and recommended the bill "ought to pass with amendment." The amendment incorporates language requested by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification to create or clarify a temporary student license for respiratory-therapy students.
Sponsors and supporters described the bill as limited in scope: it would let students in respiratory therapist programs perform tasks they have been taught in the course of their training under direct supervision, generally applying to second‑year students working within the scope of what they have learned. Testimony noted support from hospitals and no organized opposition on the record.
The committee adopted the amendment and then voted to recommend passage with the amendment; the roll call recorded 13 yes, 0 no. Committee members said they would file a brief committee report and circulate additional language to members as appropriate.
Why it matters: Supporters said the change helps clinical training and staffing at hospitals by allowing students to gain supervised experience that matches their curriculum. Opponents were not recorded in the public hearing; committee members noted the bill will also go through the normal licensing and fiscal review if needed.
Action: The committee recorded an "ought to pass with amendment" recommendation by roll call, 13–0.
