(1) An applicant for a license to practice respiratory therapy shall submit to the director evidence that he or she is credentialed by a national respiratory therapy credentialing body, as determined by the director, as a certified or registered respiratory therapist and shall pay a fee as determined by the director. The director shall maintain on file the standards of practice for examination and accreditation by the national respiratory therapy credentialing body determined by the director pursuant to this subsection (1) and make the standards available to the public.

(2) The director shall issue a license to practice respiratory therapy to an applicant who otherwise meets the qualifications set forth in this article and who submits satisfactory proof and certifies under penalty of perjury that the applicant is either:

(a) Currently in possession of an unrestricted license in good standing to practice respiratory therapy under the laws of another state or territory of the United States or foreign country, if the qualifications of the applicant are deemed by the director to be substantially equivalent to those required by this state, and whether the applicant has ever had a disciplinary action taken in regard to the applicant's license to practice respiratory therapy in another state;

(b) Holding credentials conferred by a national respiratory therapy credentialing body, as determined by the director, which credentials have not been suspended or revoked; or

(c) Functioning in the capacity of a respiratory therapist as of July 1, 2000, and has successfully passed, no later than July 1, 2001, the certification or registration examination of a national respiratory therapy credentialing body, as determined by the director.