On February 16, Senate Bill 685 (SF 685) was introduced into the Minnesota Legislature. The bill would have amended the Respiratory Care Practice Act by changing the conditions for respiratory therapists from "registered" to "licensed." The legislation also included language which could have negatively changed the exemption language for sleep technologists and could have precluded sleep technologists employed by a durable medical equipment (DME) company or home medical equipment from performing "assessment, education, or evaluation of the patient" on respiratory care equipment.

AASM worked with our Minnesota members in developing letters to state legislators requesting that the exemption language revert back to its original form and that the DME language allow sleep technologists to "instruct the patient on the use of, and/or maintaining the respiratory care equipment."

Senate Bill 1447 (SF 1447), a bill omnibus health care bill, was amended to include acceptable exemption language for sleep technologists.

House Bill 1276 (HF 1276), another bill which addresses numerous health issues, was amended to include DME language which states that an individual employed by a DME provider or home medical equipment provider may deliver, set up, and instruct the patient on the use of, or maintains respiratory care equipment.

The HF 1276 and SF 1447 were signed by the Governor on May 22.

Members can view HF 1276 and SF 1447 on the Minnesota State Legislature Web site.