(a) In order to safeguard life, health and property and promote public welfare by requiring that only properly qualified persons shall practice respiratory care in this state, any person practicing respiratory care shall be licensed as provided in this chapter, and it is unlawful for any person to practice or offer to practice respiratory care unless such person has been duly licensed under this chapter, except as provided in this section.

(b)

(1) A person seeking licensure as a registered respiratory therapist or a certified respiratory therapist must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and of good moral character, must pay the required fees set by the board, and must meet the requirements of subdivisions (b)(1)(A) or (b)(1)(B):

(A) A person applying for licensure as a registered respiratory therapist shall provide evidence satisfactory to the board that such person has successfully completed a respiratory care educational program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), or their successor organizations, and has successfully passed the National Board for Respiratory Care registry examination for advanced respiratory therapists; and

(B) A person applying for licensure as a certified respiratory therapist shall provide evidence satisfactory to the board that the person has successfully completed a respiratory care educational program accredited by the CAAHEP in collaboration with the CoARC, or their successor organizations, and has successfully passed the National Board for Respiratory Care certification examination for entry level respiratory therapists.

(2) After January 1, 2000, no person may be licensed as a respiratory assistant if that person has not been previously licensed as a respiratory assistant in Tennessee. However, persons who have been licensed as respiratory assistants may continue to renew their licenses indefinitely so long as they meet all the requirements for renewal.

(c)

(1) Each respiratory care practitioner licensed pursuant to this chapter shall biennially apply to the board for renewal of the license and shall pay a renewal fee set by the board. A respiratory care practitioner who fails to renew the license by the date of expiration of the license shall not continue to practice respiratory care in the state.

(2) A respiratory care practitioner who fails to timely renew the license may seek reinstatement of the license from the board. The board may reinstate the license upon good cause shown, upon payment of all past due renewal fees and a late renewal fee, and upon compliance with any other reasonable conditions imposed by the board.

(d) A person licensed to practice as a certified respiratory therapist may upgrade the license to registered respiratory therapist if the person furnishes evidence satisfactory to the board that the person meets all the requirements to be licensed as a registered respiratory therapist. A person licensed to practice as a respiratory assistant may upgrade the license to certified respiratory therapist or registered respiratory therapist if the person furnishes evidence satisfactory to the board that the person meets all the requirements to be licensed as a certified respiratory therapist or registered respiratory therapist. A person may not hold more than one (1) Tennessee license to practice respiratory care at the same time.