Respiratory care practitioners.

(1) Under the Respiratory Care Practice Act, the Respiratory Care Board of California licenses and regulates the practice of respiratory care and therapy. The act authorizes the board to order the denial, suspension, or revocation of, or the imposition of probationary conditions upon, a license issued under the act, for any of specified causes. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would include among those causes for discipline the employment of an unlicensed person who presents herself or himself as a licensed respiratory care practitioner when the employer should have known the person was not licensed. The bill would also include among those causes for discipline the provision of false statements or information on any form provided by the board or to any person representing the board during an investigation, probation monitoring compliance check, or any other enforcement-related action when the individual knew or should have known the statements or information was false. The bill would provide that the expiration, cancellation, forfeiture, or suspension of a license, practice privilege, or other authority to practice respiratory care, the placement of a license on a retired status, or the voluntary surrender of a license by a licensee, does not deprive the board of jurisdiction to commence or proceed with any investigation of, or action or disciplinary proceeding against, the licensee, or to render a decision to suspend or revoke the license. (2) Under the act the board may take action against a respiratory care practitioner who is charged with unprofessional conduct which includes, but is not limited to, repeated acts of clearly administering directly or indirectly inappropriate or unsafe respiratory care procedures, protocols, therapeutic regimens, or diagnostic testing or monitoring techniques, and violation of any provision for which the board may order the denial, suspension, or revocation of, or the imposition of probationary conditions upon, a license. The act provides that engaging in repeated acts of unprofessional conduct is a crime. This bill would expand the definition of unprofessional conduct to include any act of abuse towards a patient and any act of administering unsafe respiratory care procedures, protocols, therapeutic regimens, or diagnostic testing or monitoring techniques. Because this bill would change the definition of a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.