3770-3779
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
SECTION 3770-3779
3770. The department shall keep a record of its proceedings under this chapter, and a register of all persons licensed under it. The register shall show the name of every living licensed respiratory care practitioner, his or her last known place of residence, or address of record, and the date and number of his or her certificate as a respiratory care practitioner. The department shall, once every two years, compile a list of respiratory care practitioners authorized to practice respiratory care in the state. Any interested person is entitled to obtain a copy of that list upon application to the department and payment of an amount as may be fixed by the department, which amount shall not exceed the cost of the list so furnished. 3771. Within 10 days after the beginning of each calendar month, the board shall report to the Controller the amount and source of all collections made from persons licensed or seeking to be licensed under this chapter, and all fines and forfeitures to which the board is entitled, and at the same time, pay all these sums into the State Treasury, where they shall be credited to the Respiratory Care Fund, which is hereby created to carry out the purposes of this chapter. 3772. (a) There is established in the State Treasury the Respiratory Care Fund. All collections from persons licensed or seeking to be licensed under this chapter shall be paid by the board into the fund after the report to the Controller at the beginning of each month of the amount and source of the collections. 3773. (a) At the time of application for renewal of a respiratory care practitioner license, the licensee shall notify the board of all of the following: (1) Whether he or she has been convicted of any crime subsequent to the licensee's previous renewal. (2) The name and address of the licensee's current employer or employers. (b) The licensee shall cooperate in furnishing additional information as requested by the board. If the licensee fails to provide the requested information within 30 days, the license shall be made inactive until the information is received. 3774. On or before the birthday of a licensed practitioner in every other year, following the initial licensure, the board shall mail to each practitioner licensed under this chapter, at the latest address furnished by the licensed practitioner to the executive officer of the board, a notice stating the amount of the renewal fee and the date on which it is due. The notice shall state that failure to pay the renewal fee on or before the due date and submit evidence of compliance with Sections 3719 and 3773 shall result in expiration of the license. Each license not renewed in accordance with this section shall expire but may within a period of three years thereafter be reinstated upon payment of all accrued and unpaid renewal fees and penalty fees required by this chapter. The board may also require submission of proof of the applicant's qualifications, except that during the three-year period no examination shall be required as a condition for the reinstatement of any expired license that has lapsed solely by reason of nonpayment of the renewal fee. 3775. The amount of fees provided in connection with licenses or approvals for the practice of respiratory care shall be as follows: (a) The application fee shall be established by the board at not more than three hundred dollars ($300). The application fee for the applicant under subdivision (c) of Section 3740 shall be established by the board at not more than three hundred fifty dollars ($350). (b) The fees for any examination or reexamination required by the board shall be the actual cost to the board for developing, purchasing, grading, and administering each examination or reexamination. (c) The initial license fee for a respiratory care practitioner shall be no more than three hundred dollars ($300). (d) For any license term beginning on or after January 1, 1999, the renewal fee shall be established at two hundred thirty dollars ($230). The board may increase the renewal fee, by regulation, to an amount not to exceed three hundred thirty dollars ($330). The board shall fix the renewal fee so that, together with the estimated amount from revenue, the reserve balance in the board's contingent fund shall be equal to approximately six months of annual authorized expenditures. If the estimated reserve balance in the board's contingent fund will be greater than six months, the board shall reduce the renewal fee. In no case shall the fee in any year be more than 10 percent greater than the amount of the fee in the preceding year. (e) The delinquency fee shall be established by the board at not more than the following amounts: (1) If the license is renewed not more than two years from the date of its expiration, the delinquency fee shall be 100 percent of the renewal fee in effect at the time or renewal. (2) If the license is renewed after two years, but not more than three years, from the date of expiration of the license, the delinquency fee shall be 200 percent of the renewal fee in effect at the time of renewal. (f) The duplicate license fee shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75). (g) The endorsement fee shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100). (h) Costs incurred by the board in order to obtain and review documents or information related to the criminal history of, rehabilitation of, disciplinary actions taken by another state agency against, or acts of negligence in the practice of respiratory care by, an applicant or licensee, shall be paid by the applicant or licensee before a license will be issued or a subsequent renewal processed. (i) Fees paid in any form other than check, money order, or cashier's check shall be subject to an additional processing charge equal to the board's actual processing costs. (j) Fees incurred by the board to process return mail shall be paid by the applicant or licensee for whom the charges were incurred. (k) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the board, in its discretion, may reduce the amount of any fee otherwise prescribed by this section. 3775.5. The fee for an inactive license shall be the same as the renewal fee for the practice of respiratory care as specified in Section 3775. 3775.6. (a) A licensee may request that his or her license be placed in a "retired" status at any time, provided the license has not been canceled, and any outstanding fines, cost recovery, and monthly probation monitoring costs are paid in full. (b) An individual with retired status is not subject to any renewal or reporting requirements. (c) Once an individual is placed on retired status, all privileges to practice respiratory care are rescinded. If an individual practices with a "retired" license, the individual will be subject to discipline as prescribed by this chapter for the unlicensed practice of respiratory care. 3776. (a) Any person who submits to the board a check for fees that is returned unpaid shall pay all subsequent required fees by cashier' s check or money order. (b) Any person who submits to the board a check for fees that is returned unpaid shall be assessed an additional processing fee as determined by the board. 3777. Where an applicant is issued a license to practice respiratory care, and it is later discovered that all required fees have not been paid, approved continuing education is not reported or completed, employer information is not reported, or any other requirements as prescribed by this chapter are not met, the license shall not be renewed or reinstated unless all past and current required fees have been paid and all requirements are met. 3778. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may contract with a collection service for the purpose of collecting outstanding fees, fines, or cost recovery amounts, and may release personal information, including the birth date, telephone number, and social security number of any applicant or licensee for this purpose. The contractual agreement shall provide that the collection service shall not inappropriately use or release personal information, and shall provide safeguards to ensure that the information is protected from inappropriate disclosure. The contractual agreement shall hold the collection service liable for inappropriate use or disclosure of personal information. 3779. For purposes of license verification, a person may rely upon the licensing information as it is displayed on the board's Internet Web site that includes the issuance and expiration dates of any license issued by the board.