Good news for sleep professionals in North Carolina: House Bill 819 (HB 819), the Polysomnography Practice Act, was signed by Governor Bev Perdue on Friday, August 7.
HB 819, which had the backing of the North Carolina Association of Sleep Technologists (NCAST), defines polysomnography, establishes a scope of practice for sleep technologists, establishes that sleep technologists work under general supervision of the physician, and requires that all technologists obtain their RPSGT credential by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), and register with the North Carolina Medical Board by January 1, 2012. This important piece of legislation ensures that the sleep technology scope of practice is protected while also ensuring that only appropriately educated, competency tested, and credentialed sleep care personnel are performing sleep care services.
The bill further states that any individual who has not obtained their RPSGT credential by January 1, 2012, will be prohibited from performing sleep care services.
Members can review the full bill by clicking here.