(a) Except as provided in Section 34-27B-7, no person shall hold himself or herself out to be, or function as, a respiratory therapist in this state unless licensed in accordance with this chapter.

(b) In order to obtain a respiratory therapist license, an applicant shall demonstrate to the board that he or she is a citizen of the United States or, if not a citizen of the United States, a person who is legally present in the United States with appropriate documentation from the federal government, at least 18 years of age, is a high school graduate, or has the equivalent of a high school diploma, and meets one of the following requirements:

(1) Holds credentials as a registered respiratory therapist (RRT) or a certified respiratory therapist (CRT), as granted by the National Board for Respiratory Care or its successor organization.

(2) Holds a temporary license issued under subsection (d) of Section 34-27B-7 and passes the examination leading to the CRT or RRT credential.

(3) Has a valid respiratory therapist license from another state, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United States, whose requirements for licensure are considered by the board as substantially similar to those of Alabama and who otherwise meets the reciprocity requirements established by the board.

(4) Meets the requirements of subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of Section 34-27B-7.

(5) Has been approved by the board as otherwise qualified by special training and has passed the licensure examination established by the board in subsection (c).

(c) The board shall arrange for the administration of a licensure examination administered by the state or a national agency approved by the board. The examination shall be validated and nationally recognized as testing respiratory care competencies. The board may enter into agreements or contracts, consistent with state law, with outside organizations for the purpose of developing, administering, grading, and reporting the results of licensure examinations. Such organizations shall be capable of meeting the standards of the National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies, or its equivalent or successor organization. The board shall establish criteria for satisfactory performance on the examination.