Bill Text: FL S0710 | 2015 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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Bill Title: Physical Therapy

Spectrum:

Status: (Failed) 2015-05-01 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services [S0710 Detail]

Download: Florida-2015-S0710-Comm_Sub.html

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       Florida Senate - 2015                              CS for SB 710
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Health Policy; and Senators Grimsley and
       Ring
       
       
       
       
       588-03629-15                                           2015710c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to physical therapy; amending s.
    3         486.021, F.S.; redefining the term “practice of
    4         physical therapy”; amending s. 486.081, F.S.;
    5         providing that a licensed physical therapist who holds
    6         a specified doctoral degree may use specified letters
    7         in connection with her or his name or place of
    8         business; prohibiting a physical therapist with a
    9         specified doctoral degree from using the title
   10         “doctor” without informing the public of his or her
   11         profession as a physical therapist; amending s.
   12         486.135, F.S.; revising the terms and specified
   13         letters prohibited from use by a person in connection
   14         with her or his name or place of business who is not
   15         licensed as a physical therapist or physical therapist
   16         assistant; providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (11) of section
   21  486.021, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   22         486.021 Definitions.—In this chapter, unless the context
   23  otherwise requires, the term:
   24         (11) “Practice of physical therapy” means the performance
   25  of physical therapy assessments and the treatment of any
   26  disability, injury, disease, or other health condition of human
   27  beings, or the prevention of such disability, injury, disease,
   28  or other condition of health, and rehabilitation as related
   29  thereto by the use of the physical, chemical, and other
   30  properties of air; electricity; exercise; massage; the
   31  performance of acupuncture only upon compliance with the
   32  criteria set forth by the Board of Medicine, when no penetration
   33  of the skin occurs; the use of radiant energy, including
   34  ultraviolet, visible, and infrared rays; ultrasound; water; the
   35  use of apparatus and equipment in the application of the
   36  foregoing or related thereto; the performance of tests of
   37  neuromuscular functions as an aid to the diagnosis or treatment
   38  of any human condition; or the performance of electromyography
   39  as an aid to the diagnosis of any human condition only upon
   40  compliance with the criteria set forth by the Board of Medicine.
   41         (a) A physical therapist may implement a plan of treatment
   42  developed by the physical therapist for a patient or provided
   43  for a patient by a practitioner of record, or by an advanced
   44  registered nurse practitioner licensed under s. 464.012, or by a
   45  physician licensed in another state. The physical therapist
   46  shall refer the patient to or consult with a practitioner of
   47  record if the patient’s condition is found to be outside the
   48  scope of physical therapy. If physical therapy treatment for a
   49  patient is required beyond 30 21 days for a condition not
   50  previously assessed by a practitioner of record, or by a
   51  physician licensed in another state, the physical therapist
   52  shall obtain a practitioner of record who will review and sign
   53  the plan. For purposes of this paragraph, a health care
   54  practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter
   55  460, chapter 461, or chapter 466 and engaged in active practice
   56  is eligible to serve as a practitioner of record.
   57         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 486.081, Florida
   58  Statutes, is amended to read:
   59         486.081 Physical therapist; issuance of license without
   60  examination to person passing examination of another authorized
   61  examining board; fee.—
   62         (1) The board may cause a license to be issued through the
   63  department without examination to any applicant who presents
   64  evidence satisfactory to the board of having passed the American
   65  Registry Examination prior to 1971 or an examination in physical
   66  therapy before a similar lawfully authorized examining board of
   67  another state, the District of Columbia, a territory, or a
   68  foreign country, if the standards for licensure in physical
   69  therapy in such other state, district, territory, or foreign
   70  country are determined by the board to be as high as those of
   71  this state, as established by rules adopted pursuant to this
   72  chapter. Any person who holds a license pursuant to this section
   73  may use the words “physical therapist” or “physiotherapist,” or
   74  the letters “P.T.,” in connection with her or his name or place
   75  of business to denote her or his licensure hereunder. Any person
   76  who holds a license pursuant to this section and obtains a
   77  doctoral degree in physical therapy may use the letters “D.P.T.”
   78  or “P.T.” A physical therapist who holds a degree of Doctor of
   79  Physical Therapy may not use the title “doctor” without also
   80  clearly informing the public of his or her profession as a
   81  physical therapist.
   82         Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 486.135, Florida
   83  Statutes, is amended to read:
   84         486.135 False representation of licensure, or willful
   85  misrepresentation or fraudulent representation to obtain
   86  license, unlawful.—
   87         (1)(a) It is unlawful for any person who is not licensed
   88  under this chapter as a physical therapist, or whose license has
   89  been suspended or revoked, to use in connection with her or his
   90  name or place of business the words “physical therapist,”
   91  “physiotherapist,” “physical therapy,” “physiotherapy,”
   92  “registered physical therapist,” or “licensed physical
   93  therapist”; or the letters “P.T.,” or “D.P.T.” “Ph.T.,”
   94  “R.P.T.,” or “L.P.T.”; or any other words, letters,
   95  abbreviations, or insignia indicating or implying that she or he
   96  is a physical therapist or to represent herself or himself as a
   97  physical therapist in any other way, orally, in writing, in
   98  print, or by sign, directly or by implication, unless physical
   99  therapy services are provided or supplied by a physical
  100  therapist licensed in accordance with this chapter.
  101         (b) It is unlawful for any person who is not licensed under
  102  this chapter as a physical therapist assistant, or whose license
  103  has been suspended or revoked, to use in connection with her or
  104  his name the words “physical therapist assistant,” “licensed
  105  physical therapist assistant,” “registered physical therapist
  106  assistant,” or “physical therapy technician”; or the letters
  107  “P.T.A.,” “L.P.T.A.,” “R.P.T.A.,” or “P.T.T.”; or any other
  108  words, letters, abbreviations, or insignia indicating or
  109  implying that she or he is a physical therapist assistant or to
  110  represent herself or himself as a physical therapist assistant
  111  in any other way, orally, in writing, in print, or by sign,
  112  directly or by implication.
  113         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.