Support for Respiratory Care Interstate Compact
The Respiratory Care Interstate Compact has passed the legislature and is now on the Governor's desk. Below is the letter to Governor Spanberger we're asking advocates like yourself to sign and send! Once you've read the letter, fill out your contact information and then click the yellow "Send Message" button.
Dear Governor Spanberger,
On behalf of respiratory care advocates, clinicians, and patients across Virginia, we respectfully urge you to sign the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact (RCIC) legislation before you.
Respiratory therapists are essential to Virginia’s healthcare system, managing ventilators, supporting patients with COPD and asthma, and caring for medically complex individuals across hospitals, long-term care, and home settings. Yet, like much of the country, Virginia faces persistent respiratory therapy workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved regions, limiting timely access to care.
The RCIC provides a proven, bipartisan solution to strengthen access and workforce stability by allowing licensed respiratory therapists to practice across state lines while maintaining state oversight and licensure standards.
For Virginia, the benefits are immediate and significant:
- Improved access to care for patients with chronic and acute respiratory disease
- Stronger rural healthcare capacity, where shortages are most acute
- Enhanced emergency readiness, allowing rapid deployment of respiratory therapists during disasters and public health crises
- Direct support for military families: Approximately 35–40% of military spouses require a professional license, and frequent relocations create barriers to employment. The RCIC removes these barriers—supporting Virginia’s large military community and strengthening continuity of care.
Virginia has long been a leader in supporting military families and advancing innovative healthcare solutions. Joining the RCIC aligns with both priorities.
At a time when demand for respiratory care continues to grow, we respectfully ask for your leadership in signing this legislation into law.