Part III. Renewal and Reinstatement
18VAC85-40-60. Renewal of license.
A. Every licensed respiratory therapist intending to continue his licensure shall biennially in each odd-numbered year in his birth month:
1. Register with the board for renewal of his license;
2. Pay the prescribed renewal fee at the time he files for renewal;
3. Attest that he has engaged in active practice as defined in 18VAC85-40-10 or present other documented evidence acceptable to the board that he is prepared to resume practice; and
4. Attest to having met the continuing education requirements of 18VAC85-40-66.
B. A respiratory therapist whose licensure has not been renewed by the first day of the month following the month in which renewal is required shall pay a late fee as prescribed in 18VAC85-40-35.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2912.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR465-04-01 § 2.3, eff. February 14, 1990; amended, Virginia Register Volume 8, Issue 25, eff. October 8, 1992; Volume 14, Issue 21, eff. August 5, 1998; Volume 16, Issue 7, eff. January 19, 2000; Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 2, 2003; Volume 32, Issue 1, eff. October 7, 2015.
18VAC85-40-61. Inactive license.
A licensed respiratory therapist who holds a current, unrestricted license in Virginia shall, upon a request on the renewal application and submission of the required fee, be issued an inactive license. The holder of an inactive license shall not be entitled to perform any act requiring a license to practice respiratory care in Virginia.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2912.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 13, eff. April 11, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 2, 2003; Volume 24, Issue 1, eff. October 17, 2007.
18VAC85-40-65. Reactivation or reinstatement.
A. To reactivate an inactive license or to reinstate a license that has been lapsed for more than two years, a respiratory therapist shall submit evidence of competency to return to active practice to include one of the following:
1. Information on continued practice in another jurisdiction during the period in which the license has been inactive or lapsed;
2. Ten hours of continuing education for each year in which the license has been inactive or lapsed, not to exceed three years; or
3. Recertification by passage of an examination from NBRC.
B. To reactivate an inactive license, a respiratory therapist shall pay a fee equal to the difference between the current renewal fee for inactive licensure and the renewal fee for active licensure.
C. To reinstate a license which has been lapsed for more than two years, a respiratory therapist shall file an application for reinstatement and pay the fee for reinstatement of his licensure as prescribed in 18VAC85-40-35. The board may specify additional requirements for reinstatement of a license so lapsed to include education, experience or reexamination.
D. A respiratory therapist whose licensure has been revoked by the board and who wishes to be reinstated shall make a new application to the board, fulfill additional requirements as specified in the order from the board and make payment of the fee for reinstatement of his licensure as prescribed in 18VAC85-40-35 pursuant to § 54.1-2408.2 of the Code of Virginia.
E. The board reserves the right to deny a request for reactivation or reinstatement to any licensee who has been determined to have committed an act in violation of § 54.1-2915 of the Code of Virginia or any provisions of this chapter.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2912.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 7, eff. January 19, 2000; amended, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 2, 2003; Volume 23, Issue 9, eff. February 7, 2007; Volume 24, Issue 1, eff. October 17, 2007; Volume 32, Issue 1, eff. October 7, 2015.
18VAC85-40-66. Continuing education requirements.
A. In order to renew an active license as a respiratory therapist, a licensee shall attest to having completed 20 hours of continuing education within the last biennium as follows:
1. Courses approved and documented by a sponsor recognized by the AARC;
2. Courses directly related to the practice of respiratory care as approved by the American Medical Association for Category 1 CME credit;
3. A credit course of post-licensure academic education relevant to respiratory care offered by a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; or
4. Passage of a specialty examination of the National Board of Respiratory Care for 20 hours of credit in the biennium in which the examination was passed.
Up to two continuing education hours may be satisfied through delivery of respiratory therapy services, without compensation, to low-income individuals receiving services through a local health department or a free clinic organized in whole or primarily for the delivery of health services. One hour of continuing education may be credited for three hours of providing such volunteer services. For the purpose of continuing education credit for voluntary service, the hours shall be approved and documented by the health department or free clinic.
B. A practitioner shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements for the first biennial renewal following the date of initial licensure in Virginia.
C. The practitioner shall retain in his records the completed form with all supporting documentation for a period of four years following the renewal of an active license.
D. The board shall periodically conduct a random audit of its active licensees to determine compliance. The practitioners selected for the audit shall provide all supporting documentation within 30 days of receiving notification of the audit.
E. Failure to comply with these requirements may subject the licensee to disciplinary action by the board.
F. The board may grant an extension of the deadline for continuing competency requirements, for up to one year, for good cause shown upon a written request from the licensee prior to the renewal date.
G. The board may grant an exemption for all or part of the requirements for circumstances beyond the control of the licensee, such as temporary disability, mandatory military service, or officially declared disasters.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 2, 2003; amended, Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 7, eff. January 11, 2006; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 32, Issue 1, eff. October 7, 2015; Volume 33, Issue 11, eff. March 9, 2017; Volume 37, Issue 1, eff. October 15, 2020.
18VAC85-40-67. Restricted volunteer license.
A. A respiratory therapist who held an unrestricted license issued by the Virginia Board of Medicine or by a board in another state as a licensee in good standing at the time the license expired or became inactive may be issued a restricted volunteer license to practice without compensation in a clinic that is organized in whole or in part for the delivery of health care services without charge in accordance with § 54.1-106 of the Code of Virginia.
B. To be issued a restricted volunteer license, a respiratory therapist shall submit an application to the board that documents compliance with requirements of § 54.1-2928.1 of the Code of Virginia and the application fee prescribed in 18VAC85-40-35.
C. The licensee who intends to continue practicing with a restricted volunteer license shall renew biennially during his birth month, meet the continued competency requirements prescribed in subsection D of this section, and pay to the board the renewal fee prescribed in 18VAC85-40-35.
D. The holder of a restricted volunteer license shall not be required to attest to hours of continuing education for the first renewal of such a license. For each renewal thereafter, the licensee shall attest to obtaining 10 hours of continuing education as approved and documented by a sponsor recognized by the AARC or in courses directly related to the practice of respiratory care as approved by the American Medical Association for Category 1 CME credit within the last biennium.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2912.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 11, eff. March 5, 2008; amended, Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 1, eff. October 7, 2015.