Provides that supervision by a licensed physical therapist of a physical therapist assistant shall be continuous but shall not require the physical presence of the licensed physical therapist at the time and place where services are being performed; requires a licensed physical therapist to be available for consultation with the physical therapist assistant or the patient within a reasonable amount of time.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7832
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 11, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to physical therapist
assistants
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision a of section 6738 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 511 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 a. A "physical therapist assistant" means a person licensed in accord-
5 ance with this article who works under the direction and supervision of
6 a licensed physical therapist performing such patient related activities
7 as are assigned by the supervising physical therapist. Duties of phys-
8 ical therapist assistants shall not include evaluation, testing, inter-
9 pretation, planning or modification of [patient programs] a patient's
10 plan of care. Supervision [of a] by the licensed physical therapist
11 [assistant by a licensed] shall be continuous but shall not necessarily
12 require the physical presence at the time and place where services are
13 being performed. Provided further, however, such physical therapist
14 [shall be on-site supervision, but not necessarily direct personal
15 supervision] must be available for consultation with the physical thera-
16 pist assistant or patient within a reasonable amount of time pursuant to
17 the commissioner's regulations. The number of licensed physical thera-
18 pist assistants supervised by one licensed physical therapist shall not
19 exceed the ratio of four licensed physical therapist assistants to one
20 licensed physical therapist as shall be determined by the commissioner's
21 regulations insuring that there be adequate supervision in the best
22 interest of public health and safety. Nothing in this section shall
23 prohibit a hospital from employing physical therapist assistants,
24 provided they work under the supervision of physical therapists desig-
25 nated by the hospital and not beyond the scope of practice of a physical
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09175-04-5
A. 7832 2
1 therapist assistant. The numerical limitation of this section shall not
2 apply to work performed in a hospital, provided that there be adequate
3 supervision in the best interest of public health and safety.
4 § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
5 law.
