AARC receives grant to support development of an interstate compact for the respiratory therapy profession
The AARC is pleased to announce that we have received a grant from the Department of Defense to assist in the development of a new interstate compact for respiratory therapists. The grant is administered through the National Center for Interstate Compacts which is a part of the Council of State Governments (CSG). CSG does not award direct funding as part of this assistance but will work on behalf of the AARC and respiratory therapists to develop activities that will lead to a compact. This assistance will include the development of model legislation, a legislative resource kit and the convening of a national meeting of state policymakers to introduce the compact. A kickoff meeting will take place this fall, with formal activities beginning in January of 2024. The grant will run for two years, after which we will have an opportunity to apply for a phase 2 grant for further funding to offset the larger cost of developing a national data system.
“This grant establishes an important partnership between the AARC and state affiliates as a compact will require a change in state law. Our state respiratory societies will be the key to our legislative success if we are going to make a compact work,” says Dan Garrett, AARC Executive Director who further stated. “The AARC is excited to begin the education process for our membership and bring our affiliates in at every turn!”
President Carl Hinkson established a Compact Licensure Task Force last year to explore different models of professional compacts, including cost, how they are funded, and the average time frame necessary from conception to enactment. “I want to thank Ron Pasewald for acting as Chair of the Compact Licensure Task Force and assisting the staff with the RFP that led to the successful award of this grant. We are excited to be able to have the help and expertise of the CSG to move the profession forward to having an interstate compact.” said Hinkson. The Compact Licensure Task Force has been meeting with representatives of other allied health professions to learn how their compacts are run and funded.
The CSG states “that a technical assistance group is formed at the beginning of the compact development process to discuss the unique needs of the respiratory therapy profession. A compact technical assistance group is tasked with making recommendations for the compact document team to consider as they develop language for the model compact legislation. To do this, technical assistance group members require a thorough understanding of a specific occupation, including its current practices and historical regulation in the states. This field-specific knowledge ensures that model legislation is tailored to the profession.”
Education will be an important part of the development of a compact and the AARC is committed to engaging our members and state affiliates during each phase of the grant activities to be sure that every respiratory therapist understands and engages in this important new opportunity.
