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Committee hears HB 85 to create temporary student license for respiratory therapy students
Summary
A bill sponsored by Rep. Carol McGuire would create a time-limited license allowing respiratory therapy students to work and be paid for skills they have demonstrated under supervision; the committee deferred final action to gather additional detail.
Representative Carol McGuire introduced House Bill 85, which would create a temporary student license so respiratory therapy students may work and be paid for skills they have demonstrated while still enrolled in their educational program. The bill, she said, was requested by the New Hampshire Hospital Association and passed the House EDNA committee unanimously.
Ben Bridal, representing the New Hampshire Hospital Association, told the committee the idea stems from HealthForce New Hampshire and from practices in other states. He said Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts already allow respiratory therapy students to work under temporary licenses, and that New Hampshire hospitals face recruitment pressure: "As of October 2024 ... there was a 21.7% vacancy rate for hospital-employed respiratory therapists," Bridal said. He said the license would be limited in scope, require supervision and rulemaking, and require students to show employers the temporary license to be paid.
Senators pressed on operational details. Senator Altschuler and others asked how supervisors and co-workers would know what clinical tasks a temporary licensee is competent to perform. Deanna Juris, executive director of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), said the state would not centrally verify each competency; the hiring facility would make a business decision about whether to employ a student and supervising practitioners retain responsibility for on-site supervision. Juris said the proposed temporary student license would be distinct from other OPLC temporary permits and be issued with a two-year duration but limited by enrollment: "You would not be eligible to renew" once no longer matriculated in the program, she said.
Committee members raised questions about how a temporary license would interact with students' clinical education and with employer supervision practices. Representative McGuire and Bridal said the bill and subsequent rulemaking would restrict practice to demonstrated competencies; McGuire suggested rules could list specific tasks the licensee is qualified to perform. The committee voted to hold off on final executive action on HB 85 to obtain further information and to revisit the item next week.
The hearing record shows the committee deferred final action: a motion was made to hold HB 85 pending answers to follow-up questions and further detail from OPLC and stakeholders.
