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TITLE 22EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 9TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD
CHAPTER 186RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTITIONERS
RULE §186.4Procedural Rules and Qualifications for Certificate Applicants

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an individual applying for a respiratory care practitioner certificate issued by the advisory board must:

  (1) submit an application on forms approved by the advisory board;

  (2) pay the appropriate application fee as prescribed by the advisory board and as set forth in §175.1 of this title (relating to Application and Administrative Fees);

  (3) successfully complete an approved four-year high school course of study or the equivalent as determined by the appropriate educational agency;

  (4) successfully complete an educational program for respiratory care practitioners accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or other accrediting body approved by the advisory board, and hold a valid and current certification issued by the NBRC;

  (5) certify that the applicant is mentally and physically able to function safely as a respiratory care practitioner;

  (6) not have a license, certification, or registration as a respiratory care practitioner in this state or from any other licensing or certifying authority that is currently revoked or on suspension or the applicant is not subject to probation or other disciplinary action for cause;

  (7) not have any proceeding that has been instituted against the applicant for the restriction, cancellation, suspension, or revocation of a certificate, permit, license, or other authority to practice respiratory care in any state, territory, Canadian province, country, or uniformed service of the United States in which it was issued;

  (8) not have pending any prosecution against applicant in any state, federal, or international court for any offense that under the laws of this state is a felony, a misdemeanor that involves the practice of respiratory care, or a misdemeanor that involves a crime of moral turpitude;

  (9) be of good professional character as defined under §186.2(15) of this chapter (relating to Definitions);

  (10) submit a complete and legible set of fingerprints, on a form prescribed by the Medical Board, for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information, as required by §604.1031 of the Act;

  (11) submit to the board any other information the board considers necessary to evaluate the applicant's qualifications;

  (12) meet any other requirement established by rules adopted by the advisory board;

  (13) pass an independently evaluated respiratory care practitioner examination prepared by the NBRC; and

  (14) pass the jurisprudence examination ("JP exam"), which shall be conducted on the certification requirements and other laws, rules, or regulations applicable to the respiratory care practitioner profession in this state. The jurisprudence examination shall be developed and administered as follows:

    (A) the staff of the Medical Board shall prepare questions for the JP exam and provide a facility by which applicants can take the examination;

    (B) applicants must pass the JP exam with a score of 75 or better;

    (C) an examinee shall not be permitted to bring books, compends, notes, journals, calculators, "smart phones," cellular phones, or other devices or materials designed to assist examinee pass the exam into the examination room, nor be allowed to communicate by word or sign with another examinee while the examination is in progress without permission of the presiding examiner, nor be allowed to leave the examination room except when so permitted by the presiding examiner;

    (D) irregularities during an examination such as giving or obtaining unauthorized information or aid as evidenced by observation or subsequent statistical analysis of answer sheets, shall be sufficient cause to terminate an applicant's participation in an examination, invalidate the applicant's examination results, or take other appropriate action; and

    (E) a person who has passed the JP Exam shall not be required to retake the Exam for recertification, except as a specific requirement of the advisory board as part of an agreed order.

(b) The following documentation shall be submitted as a part of the certificate application process:

  (1) Birth Certificate/Proof of Age. Each applicant for a certificate must provide a copy of a birth certificate and translation if necessary to prove that the applicant is at least 18 years of age. In instances where a birth certificate is not available the applicant must provide copies of a passport or other suitable alternate documentation.

  (2) Name Change. Any applicant who submits documentation showing a name other than the name under which the applicant has applied must present certified copies of marriage licenses, divorce decrees, or court orders stating the name change. In cases where the applicant's name has been changed by naturalization, the applicant should send the original naturalization certificate by certified mail to the advisory board for inspection.

  (3) Certification. Each applicant for a respiratory care practitioner certificate issued by the advisory board must submit:

    (A) a letter of verification of current certification acceptable to the advisory board, sent directly from the certifying body; and

    (B) a certificate of successful completion of an educational program submitted directly from the program on a form provided by the advisory board.

  (4) Examination Scores. Each applicant for a respiratory care practitioner certificate issued by the advisory board must have a certified transcript of grades submitted directly from the appropriate testing service to the advisory board for all examinations accepted by the advisory board for issuance of a certificate. The advisory board must notify the applicant of the results of the examination in accordance with §604.1042 of the Act.

  (5) Evaluations.

    (A) All applicants must provide evaluations, on forms provided by the board, of their professional affiliations for the past three years or since graduation from an educational program described by subsection (a)(4) of this section, whichever is the shorter period.

    (B) The evaluations must come from at least three supervisors or instructors who are either Texas state-certified respiratory care practitioners or licensed physicians and have each supervised the applicant's work experience.

    (C) An exception to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph may be made for those applicants who provide adequate documentation that they have not been supervised by at least three licensed physicians or Texas state-certified respiratory care practitioners for the three years preceding the board's receipt of application or since graduation, whichever is the shorter period.

  (6) Verification from Other States. On request of Medical Board staff, an applicant must have any state, in which he or she has ever been certified or otherwise licensed as a respiratory care practitioner regardless of the current status of the certification or license, submit to the advisory board a letter verifying the status of the certificate or license and a description of any sanctions or pending disciplinary matters. The information must be sent directly from the state certifying or licensing entities. Such information may be considered in accordance with §604.106 of the Act.

  (7) Arrest Records. If an applicant has ever been arrested, a copy of the arrest and arrest disposition must be requested from the arresting authority and that authority must submit copies of such records directly to the advisory board.

  (8) Malpractice. If an applicant has ever been named in a malpractice claim filed with any liability carrier or if an applicant has ever been named in a malpractice suit, the applicant must:

    (A) have each liability carrier complete a form furnished by this advisory board regarding each claim filed against the applicant's insurance;

    (B) for each claim that becomes a malpractice suit, have the attorney representing the applicant in each suit submit a letter directly to the advisory board explaining the allegation, dates of the allegation, and current status of the suit. If the suit has been closed, the attorney must state the disposition of the suit, and if any money was paid, the amount of the settlement. The letter shall be accompanied by supporting documentation including court records if applicable. If such letter is not available, the applicant will be required to furnish a notarized affidavit explaining why this letter cannot be provided; and

    (C) provide a statement, composed by the applicant, explaining the circumstances pertaining to patient care in defense of the allegations.

(c) Review and Recommendations by the Executive Director.

Cont'd...

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