(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the practice of respiratory care in California affects the public health, safety, and welfare and is to be subject to regulation and control in the public interest to protect the public from the unauthorized and unqualified practice of respiratory care and from unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice respiratory care. The Legislature also recognizes the practice of respiratory care to be a dynamic and changing art and science, the practice of which is continually evolving to include newer ideas and more sophisticated techniques in patient care.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature in this chapter to provide clear legal authority for functions and procedures which have common acceptance and usage. It is the intent also to recognize the existence of overlapping functions between physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, physical therapists, respiratory care practitioners, and other licensed health care personnel, and to permit additional sharing of functions within organized health care systems. The organized health care systems include, but are not limited to, health facilities licensed pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, clinics, home health agencies, physicians’ offices, and public or community health services.

(c) For purposes of this section, it is the intent of the Legislature that “overlapping functions” includes, but is not limited to, providing therapy, management, rehabilitation, diagnostic evaluation, and care for nonrespiratory-related diagnoses or conditions provided (1) a health care facility has authorized the respiratory care practitioner to provide these services and (2) the respiratory care practitioner has maintained current competencies in the services provided, as needed.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 247, Sec. 1. (SB 525) Effective January 1, 2016.)