In order to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare, to protect the public from incompetent and unauthorized persons; to assure the highest degree of professional conduct on the part of respiratory care practitioners; and to assure the availability of respiratory care services of high quality to persons in need of those services, it is the purpose of this chapter to provide for the regulation of persons offering respiratory care services. [PL 1985, c. 288, §3 (NEW).]