Section 23U. The board may without examination, license as a respiratory therapist, any applicant who is duly licensed or registered under the laws of another state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any such therapist who satisfies the board that he has met or exceeded the requirements for licensure in the commonwealth, or any such therapist who is credentialed by the National Board for Respiratory Care as a Certified Respiratory Therapy Technician (CRTT) or a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). At the time of making such application, the applicant shall pay a fee determined by the secretary of administration and finance to the board.