SB 149 Ohio Senate · 136th Legislature (2025-2026)

Enter into the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact

SB 149 would allow Ohio to join the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, enabling Ohio-licensed respiratory therapists to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses. The bill creates a "Compact Privilege," letting therapists provide care across state lines while still adhering to each state's specific rules and scope of practice. It preserves each state's authority to regulate licensing and protect public safety, requiring therapists to maintain an active Ohio license and comply with the laws of the state where care is delivered. This affects respiratory therapists seeking to work in multiple states, particularly for telehealth or temporary assignments, without changing Ohio's existing licensing requirements.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 18, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced As Passed by the Senate · 3 edits · Jun 10, 2026
MINOR
The bill was amended to expand the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact to include a new section (4761.22) that requires Respiratory Therapists to comply with specific medical board regulations and complete criminal background checks within 60 days of receiving compact privileges. The text was also reformatted to align with the Senate's final version, adding cosponsors and clarifying the bill's purpose to improve public access to respiratory therapy services.
Scope change
The bill now explicitly covers three new sections of the Revised Code (4761.20, 4761.21, and 4761.22) instead of just two, adding specific operational requirements for licensees.
REQUIREMENT

Added Section 4761.22, which mandates that Respiratory Therapists with compact privileges must comply with specific state medical board regulations and complete criminal background checks within 60 days of receiving their privilege.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to reflect it has been passed by the Senate, added a list of cosponsors, and adjusted the section numbering to match the final legislative format.

DEFINITION

Expanded the list of defined terms in Section 2 to include 'Criminal Background Check,' 'Data System,' and 'Significant Investigative Information' to clarify how the compact will operate.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 11, 2026

How they voted

330
Passed
Total votes 33
Jun 11, 2026
D Democratic9
9 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican24
24 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Jun 16, 2026
Introduced
Introduced
lower
Jun 11, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (33-0)
senate
Jun 10, 2026
Introduced
Reported - Amended
upper
Jun 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Mar 19, 2025
Committee
Referred to committee
upper
Mar 18, 2025
Introduced
Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Kristina Roegner
Kristina Roegner
RRepublican
OH
27