Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB709: AN ACT relating to respiratory care.
Status: In committee, March 3, 2026
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 314A to allow an advanced practice respiratory therapist employed by a health facility to declare a patient death and sign the provisional report of death; repeal and reenact KRS 314A.010, 314A.110, and 314A.220 to define terms; create a new license category for advanced practice respiratory therapists; deem the practice credential a license instead of a mandatory certificate; replace the term "respiratory care practitioner" with "respiratory therapist" or "advanced practice respiratory therapist"; establish education and training requirements; set procedures for license reinstatement and reactivation; amend KRS 314A.100 to authorize a respiratory therapist to perform services with the prescription of a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or advanced practice respiratory therapist; describe services an advanced practice respiratory therapist may provide under prospective medical direction, including prescribing legend drugs; amend KRS 314A.112 to establish requirements for a limited student respiratory therapist license; amend KRS 314A.200 to make the Kentucky Board of Respiratory Care's meetings subject to Kentucky Open Meetings and Open Records laws; amend KRS 314A.215 to raise board members' daily pay from $50 to $100; amend KRS 314A.225 to expand avenues for board discipline of licensees; amend KRS 314A.990 to authorize the board to impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation; amend KRS 164.0401, 216.2920, 216.380, 217.015, 311.646, 314A.105, 314A.115, 314A.205, 314A.230, 353.510, and 405.024 to conform.
What the bill says
An act relating to respiratory care.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to respiratory care. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 314A IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: An advanced practice respiratory therapist who is employed by a health facility as defined in KRS 216B.015 may determine whether or not a patient is dead in accordance with the requirements of KRS 446.400. The advanced practice respiratory therapist shall notify the patient's attending physician or other appropriate practitioner of the death in accordance with the facility's policy. The advanced practice respiratory therapist is authorized to sign the provisional report of death as furnished by the state registrar of vital statistics. SECTION 2. KRS 314A.010 IS REPEALED AND REENACTED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: As used in this chapter: (1) "Accredited program" means a training program accredited by CoARC that qualifies the graduate to sit for the registry examination or the entry level examination administered by NBRC or its equivalent; (2) "Advanced practice respiratory care" means the performance of services by an advanced practice respiratory therapist, under prospective medical direction, in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiopulmonary diseases or conditions in a setting in which the advance practice respiratory therapist is engaged in providing direct patient care, including prescribing legend drugs, and ordering, administering, and directing …
Sponsors
- Aaron Thompson (R, HD-098) · primary sponsor
- Ashley Tackett Laferty (D, HD-095)
- Mitch Whitaker (R, HD-094)
Latest actions
- : to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : introduced in House
Subjects: Deaths, Occupations And Professions, Health Care Professionals, Hospitals And Health Facilities, Physicians, Drugs And Medicines, Licensing, Boards And Commissions
Common questions
- What is HB709?
- HB709 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to respiratory care.
- What does HB709 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to respiratory care.
- What is the status of HB709?
- In committee as of March 3, 2026. Latest action: to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (March 3, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB709?
- Aaron Thompson (R, HD-098), with 2 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB709?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb709.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.