Provides that a supervising licensed physical therapist shall be available for consultation with a physical therapist assistant in a timely manner; removes the on-site supervision requirement.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9213
IN SENATE
May 6, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee 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,]
9 interpretation, planning or modification of [patient programs] a
10 patient's plan of care. [Supervision of a] The supervising licensed
11 physical therapist [assistant by a licensed] shall be available for
12 consultation with the physical therapist [shall be on-site supervision,
13 but not necessarily direct personal supervision] assistant in a timely
14 manner, taking into consideration the practice setting, the condition of
15 the patient and the physical therapy services being provided. The
16 number of licensed physical therapist assistants supervised by one
17 licensed physical therapist shall not exceed the ratio of four licensed
18 physical therapist assistants to one licensed physical therapist as
19 shall be determined by the commissioner's regulations insuring that
20 there be adequate supervision in the best interest of public health and
21 safety. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a hospital from employing
22 physical therapist assistants, provided they work under the supervision
23 of physical therapists designated by the hospital and not beyond the
24 scope of practice of a physical therapist assistant. The numerical limi-
25 tation of this section shall not apply to work performed in a hospital,
26 provided that there be adequate supervision in the best interest of
27 public health and safety.
28 § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
29 law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15440-01-4
