Congratulations to the Louisiana Academy of Sleep Medicine (LASM)! On June 7, 2012, Governor Bobby Jindal signed Senate Bill 637 (SB 637) into law. SB 637 amends the Louisiana Polysomnographic Practice Act (“Act”) by postponing licensure for sleep technologists until 2017. Over the past few years the AASM has been assisting the LASM address their Act. Although the Act was signed in 2005, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (“Board”) never developed regulations for the sleep technology profession.
The most serious issue stemming from the failure to establish a regulatory framework concerned individuals looking to enter the sleep technology field. A section in the Act contained language which precluded individuals from entering the field after January 1, 2011.
On March 29, 2012, SB 637 was introduced and required that after July 1, 2017, an individual applying for licensure must:
- Have graduated from a CAAHEP accredited program; and
- Passed an examination that is administered as a component of a certification program that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, the American National Standards Institute, or other national accrediting organizations approved by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
The AASM will continue to work with the LASM on developing regulatory language for the Act.
