Rep. Huneycutt files bill in North Carolina House updating respiratory care regulations

A new bill filed by State Rep. Cody Huneycutt in the North Carolina House seeks to modernize respiratory care regulations and create a regulatory board for practitioners, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 71 on Feb. 6 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Respiratory Care Modernization Act.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill, effective Oct. 1, 2025, updates North Carolina’s statutes regulating the practice of respiratory care to reflect advancements in education, experience, and practice. It introduces the role of Advanced Respiratory Care Practitioner (ARCP), allowing practitioners with postgraduate training to perform advanced procedures under physician supervision. The bill outlines licensure requirements for respiratory care practitioners and ARCPs, mandates criminal background checks, and establishes the North Carolina Respiratory Care Board to oversee certification and regulation. It also details board composition, defines prohibited practices without a license, and ensures confidentiality in board investigations, mandating self-reporting by practitioners of certain legal offenses.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, Huneycutt proposed the most bills (six) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Huneycutt graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2014 with a BA.

Huneycutt, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 67th House district, replacing previous state representative Clayton Sasser.