CSRC History
California Inhalation Therapists were organized in two informal groups in the early 1960’s, in Northern and Southern California. The Northern group met in 1964 at Stanford University Medical Center and decided to join the American Association of Inhalation Therapists (former name of AARC). This group was approved and became the Golden Gate Chapter of the AAIT. The Golden Gate Chapter became a California Corporation, filing Articles of Incorporation on June 27, 1968 and the name was officially changed to the Northern California Association for Inhalation Therapists.
The following year, the Southern California Therapists merged with Northern California and the name was changed to the California Society for Inhalation Therapy. A third name change occurred when the AAIT became the AART and subsequently the AARC, to the California Society for Respiratory Care.
In 1980 after a series of rulings that limited the scope of practice and qualification for reimbursement of Respiratory Therapists in California, the CSRC started the process of professional licensure. The efforts toward licensing RT’s in California took over three years. The initial bill AB1414 died in committee, but was later replaced with SB 1287. On September 24, 1982, SB 1287 became law making California the first state to license Respiratory Therapists.
In 2004 and instep with the AARC’s “Respiratory Care 2015 and Beyond” plan for advancing the profession, the CSRC submitted a formal request to the California Respiratory Care Board (RCB) to change the minimum license applicant credential to Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRT). Over the next few years, the CSRC and RCB worked in partnership to gather background data as well as conduct the first California RCP Workforce Study. On January 1, 2015, AB 1972 became law and California along with Ohio became the first two states to require license applicants to hold minimum credential of RRT.
Today the CSRC continues to represent the 24,000+ Respiratory Care Practitioners in California, in Sacramento on issues, including the evolving scope of practice that are important to the Respiratory Care Profession in California and across the nation.
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) wants all respiratory therapists to be fully prepared and equipped with the up-to-date information regarding COVID-19. As we know this is an ever-changing situation and one that can easily be miscommunicated to others. Below are links to Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which is providing the best comprehensive information. It is updated on a daily basis. 
