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Respiratory Care Board defends move toward bachelor'level entry as stakeholders warn of workforce strain
Summary
At a joint sunset review, Respiratory Care Board leaders described multi-year work on modernizing licensing and proposed raising entry education toward a bachelor'level; lawmakers and frontline therapists pressed the board on rural access, LVN scope, and fee changes.
Ricardo Guzman, president of the California Respiratory Care Board, told the Assembly and Senate committees the board's mission remains public protection through licensing, enforcement, and education. Guzman highlighted a new digital licensing system, a continuing-education framework and work to address unlawful practice by licensed vocational nurses (LVNs).
The board's vice president, Ray Hernandez, said the board has been studying whether to increase the minimum educational requirement to a baccalaureate degree since 2015 and began focused public meetings in 2021. He described the initiative as stakeholder-driven and comparable to similar debates in nursing and physical therapy.
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