The Florida Senate

468.357  Licensure by examination.--

(1)  A person who desires to be licensed as a respiratory care practitioner may submit an application to take the examination, in accordance with board rule.

(a)  Each applicant may take the examination who is determined by the board to have:

1.  Completed the application form and remitted the applicable fee set by the board;

2.  Submitted required documentation as required in s. 468.355; and

3.  Remitted an examination fee set by the examination provider.

(b)  Examinations for licensure of respiratory care practitioners must be conducted no less than two times a year in such geographical locations or by such methods as are deemed advantageous to the majority of the applicants.

(c)  The examination given for respiratory care practitioners shall be the same as that given by the National Board for Respiratory Care for entry-level certification of respiratory therapy technicians. However, an equivalent examination may be accepted by the board in lieu of that examination.

(2)  Each applicant who passes the examination shall be entitled to licensure as a respiratory care practitioner, and the department shall issue a license pursuant to this part to any applicant who successfully completes the examination in accordance with this section. However, the department shall not issue a license to any applicant who is under investigation in another jurisdiction for an offense which would constitute a violation of this part. Upon completion of such an investigation, if the applicant is found guilty of such an offense, the applicable provisions of s. 468.365 will apply.

History.--ss. 1, 3, ch. 84-252; s. 5, ch. 86-60; s. 4, ch. 87-553; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 134, ch. 97-264; s. 180, ch. 99-397.