Sec. 20-71. Licensure without examination. Physical therapists and physical therapy assistants.
Sec. 20-73b. Continuing education requirements. Waivers and extensions.
Sec. 20-70. Qualifications for examination for licensure. Practice pending examination results. Reexamination. (a)(1) Any person who is a graduate of a school of physical therapy approved by the Board of Examiners for Physical Therapists, with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, or has successfully completed requirements for graduation from such school, shall be eligible for examination for licensure as a physical therapist. The Department of Public Health, with the consent of the board, shall determine the subject matter of such examination, which shall be designed to show proficiency in physical therapy and related subjects, and shall determine whether such examination shall be written, oral or practical, or a combination thereof. Passing scores shall be established by the department with the consent of the board. Warning of such examination shall be given by the department not less than two weeks in advance of the date set for the examination. If the applicant passes such examination, the department shall issue to such applicant a license to practice physical therapy.
(2) Any person who is a graduate of a physical therapy or physical therapy assistant program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy shall be eligible for examination for licensure as a physical therapist assistant. The department, with the consent of the board, shall determine the subject matter of such examination, which shall be designed to show proficiency in physical therapy and related subjects, and shall determine whether such examination shall be written, oral or practical, or a combination thereof. Passing scores shall be established by the department with the consent of the board. Warning of such examination shall be given by the department not less than two weeks in advance of the date set for the examination. If the applicant passes such examination, the department shall issue to such applicant a physical therapist assistant license. Any applicant for examination for licensure as a physical therapy assistant whose application is based on a diploma issued to such applicant by a foreign physical therapy school shall furnish documentary evidence, satisfactory to the department, that the requirements for graduation are similar to or higher than those required of graduates of approved United States schools of physical therapy.
(3) No fee shall be required for an examination under subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection.
(b) (1) Any person who is a graduate of an approved United States physical therapy school and who has filed an application with the department may practice as a physical therapist under the direct and immediate supervision of a licensed physical therapist in this state for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty calendar days after the date of application. If the person practicing pursuant to this subdivision fails to pass the licensure examination, all privileges under this subdivision shall automatically cease.
(2) Any person who is a graduate of an approved United States physical therapist assistant school or an approved physical therapy school and who has filed an application with the department may practice as a physical therapist assistant under the direct and immediate supervision of a licensed physical therapist in this state for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty calendar days after the date of application. If the person practicing pursuant to this subdivision fails to pass the licensure examination, all privileges under this subdivision shall automatically cease.
(c) Any applicant under this section who fails to pass the examination prescribed by the department with the consent of the board may take a subsequent examination on payment of an additional application fee.
(1949 Rev., S. 4402; 1953, S. 2206d; 1959, P.A. 575, S. 2; 616, S. 21; June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 48; P.A. 73-579, S. 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 384, 610; P.A. 81-473, S. 16, 43; P.A. 89-251, S. 79, 203; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 00-226, S. 13, 20; P.A. 04-221, S. 2, 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 189; P.A. 25-168, S. 425.)
History: 1959 acts made one who has completed requirements for graduation eligible for examination and increased fee from $20 to $25; 1971 act increased examination fee to $30; P.A. 73-579 allowed practice of therapy under direction of person licensed to practice osteopathy and added Subsecs. (b) and (c) re practice before taking examination and reexamination of those who fail on first examination; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services and required consent of health services commissioner for contents of examination, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-473 changed criteria for licensure and powers of board and department to conform with changes made with respect to other health professions under the sunset review process begun in 1980 and deleted reference to practice as a physical therapist under the supervision of a licensed physician; P.A. 89-251 set the examination fee at $225, where previously fee was determined by department with board's consent; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 00-226 made technical changes and added provisions re physical therapy assistant examination, licensure and practice, effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 04-221 amended Subsec. (b) by limiting the time allowed for practice pending examination results to 120 days and making conforming changes; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fee from $225 to $285 in Subdiv. (1) and to increase fee from $150 to $190 in Subdiv. (2); P.A. 25-168 amended Subsec. (a) to delete fees in Subdivs. (1) and (2) and add Subdiv. (3) re no fee for examinations.
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Sec. 20-71. Licensure without examination. Physical therapists and physical therapy assistants. (a) The Department of Public Health may issue a license to practice physical therapy without examination to an applicant who is a physical therapist registered or licensed under the laws of any other state or territory of the United States, any province of Canada or any other country, if the requirements for registration or licensure of physical therapists in such state, territory, province or country are deemed by the department to be equivalent to, or higher than those prescribed in this chapter.
(b) The department may issue a physical therapist assistant license without examination to an applicant who is a physical therapist assistant registered or licensed under the laws of any other state or territory of the United States, any province of Canada or any other country, if the requirements for registration or licensure of physical therapist assistants in such state, territory, province or country are deemed by the department to be equivalent to, or higher than those prescribed in this chapter.
(c) No fee shall be required for the issuance of a license under this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 4404; 1953, S. 2207d; 1959, P.A. 575, S. 3; 616, S. 22; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 385, 610; P.A. 81-473, S. 18, 43; P.A. 89-251, S. 80, 203; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 21, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-271, S. 27, 40; P.A. 00-226, S. 14, 20; P.A. 06-195, S. 47; P.A. 07-252, S. 26, 27; P.A. 14-231, S. 48; P.A. 25-168, S. 426.)
History: 1959 acts increased fee in Subsec. (a) from $10 and added Subsec. (b); P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services and required that qualifying examination be acceptable to commissioner of health services as well as to board of examiners in Subsec. (b), effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-473 amended section to permit the department, with the consent of the board, to set fees for licensure by endorsement and to conform licensing procedures with those of other health professions under sunset review process begun in 1980; P.A. 89-251 set the application fee at $150, where previously fee was set by department with board's consent; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 raised license fee from $150 to $225; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-271 deleted the requirement that the foreign state, etc., grant reciprocity, deleted former Subsec. (b) re licensure without examination based on certain schooling and made a technical change; P.A. 00-226 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), making technical changes therein, and added new Subsec. (b) re issuance of physical therapist assistant license without examination, effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 06-195 deleted former Subsec. (b)(2) and (3) re conditions for granting physical therapist assistant licenses without examination and added Subsecs. (c) and (d) re physical therapist assistant licensure without examination for applicants who have either completed 20 years of employment as a physical therapist assistant before October 1, 1989, or registered as a physical therapist assistant with Department of Public Health on or before April 1, 2006, effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to give department complete discretion in determining whether the qualifications of applicants for licensure without examination who are licensed or registered in another jurisdiction are equivalent to, or higher than, those prescribed in chapter; P.A. 14-231 added Subsec. (e) re applicant eligible to register as a physical therapist assistant on or before April 1, 2006; P.A. 25-168 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to delete fees, added new Subsec. (c) re no fee for license issuance, and deleted former Subsecs. (c) to (e) re obsolete licensure provisions.
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Sec. 20-73b. Continuing education requirements. Waivers and extensions. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, each physical therapist licensed pursuant to this chapter shall complete a minimum of twenty hours of continuing education during each registration period. For purposes of this section, registration period means the twelve-month period for which a license has been renewed in accordance with section 19a-88 and is current and valid. The continuing education shall be in areas related to the individual's practice, except, (1) on and after January 1, 2022, such continuing education shall include not less than two hours of training or education on (A) screening for post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (B) suicide prevention, during the first registration period in which continuing education is required and not less than once every six years thereafter, and (2) on and after January 1, 2026, such continuing education shall include not less than two hours of training or education on ethics and jurisprudence during the first registration period in which continuing education is required and not less than once every two years thereafter. The requirement described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection may be satisfied by the completion of the evidence-based youth suicide prevention training program administered pursuant to section 17a-52a. Qualifying continuing education activities include, but are not limited to, courses offered or approved by the American Physical Therapy Association or any component of the American Physical Therapy Association, a hospital or other licensed health care institution or a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(b) Each licensee shall obtain a certificate of completion from the provider of continuing education activities for all continuing education hours successfully completed. Each licensee shall maintain such written documentation for a minimum of three years following the license renewal date for which the activity satisfies continuing education requirements. Certificates of completion shall be submitted by the licensee to the Department of Public Health not later than forty-five days after a request by said department for such certificates. A licensee who fails to comply with the continuing education requirements may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to section 20-73a.
(c) The continuing education requirements shall be waived for licensees applying for licensure renewal for the first time. The department may, for a licensee who has a medical disability or illness, grant a waiver of the continuing education requirements or may grant the licensee an extension of time in which to fulfill the requirements, provided the licensee submits to the Department of Public Health an application for waiver or extension of time on a form prescribed by said department, along with a certification by a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse of the disability or illness and such other documentation as may be required by said department. The Department of Public Health may grant a waiver or extension for a period not to exceed one registration period, except that said department may grant additional waivers or extensions if the medical disability or illness upon which a waiver or extension is granted continues beyond the period of the waiver or extension and the licensee applies to said department for an additional waiver or extension.
(P.A. 03-209, S. 5; P.A. 06-125, S. 4; P.A. 07-252, S. 42; P.A. 16-39, S. 31; P.A. 21-46, S. 3; 21-196, S. 37; P.A. 25-97, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 06-125 made a conforming change in Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (b) by establishing deadline for submission of certificates of completion to Department of Public Health of not later than 45 days after a department request, and amended Subsec. (c) by requiring department to develop form application for waivers and extensions based on medical disability or illness, requiring applications to be supported by medical certification, limiting length of extensions to one registration period and allowing for the granting of additional waivers or extensions; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsec. (a) to specify activities that qualify as continuing education activities, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 16-39 amended Subsec. (c) by adding reference to licensed advanced practice registered nurse; P.A. 21-46 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (1) re continuing education requirement re training or education on screening for post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief and Subdiv. (2) re suicide prevention training, and adding provision re completion of program administered pursuant to Sec. 17a-52a, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 21-196 amended Subsec. (c) by adding reference to licensed physician assistant; P.A. 25-97 amended Subsec. (a) by redesignating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subparas. (A) and (B), adding a new Subdiv. (2) requiring 2 hours of training or education on ethics and jurisprudence not less than once every 2 years, and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2025.
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