Assigned to HHS FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2583
physical therapists; imaging; laboratory tests
Purpose
Specifies that a physical therapist may order imaging only for patients with an established
patient relationship with the physical therapist and for whom there is a clinical need for the
imaging. Removes the specification that imaging ordered by a physical therapist be
musculoskeletal consisting of plain film radiographs.
Background
The practice of physical therapy includes, but is not limited to, examining, evaluating and
testing persons with mechanical, physiological and developmental impairments, functional
limitations and disabilities or other health and movement related conditions in order to determine
a diagnosis, prognosis and plan of therapeutic intervention and to assess the ongoing effects of
intervention, including ordering imaging (A.R.S. § 32-2001).
Laws 2022, Chapter 289 authorized physical therapists to order musculoskeletal imaging
consisting of plain film radiographs. The imaging must be performed by a health care practitioner
who is authorized by statute to perform the imaging and must be interpreted by a licensed physician
trained in radiology interpretation. The physical therapist must report the results for all imaging
tests ordered to the patient's health care practitioner of record or the referring health care
practitioner, if designated, within seven days after receiving the results. The physical therapist
must refer the patient to an appropriate health care practitioner if the patient does not have a health
care practitioner of record and the physical therapist has reasonable cause to believe that any
symptoms or conditions are present that may require services beyond the physical therapist's scope
of practice (A.R.S. § 32-2041.01).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Limits a physical therapist's authority to order images to imaging for patients with an
established patient relationship with the physical therapist and for whom there is a clinical need
for the imaging.
2. Removes the specification that imaging ordered by a physical therapist be only
musculoskeletal imaging consisting of plain film radiographs.
3. Makes technical changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date. FACT SHEET
H.B. 2583
Page 2
House Action
HHS 2/13/25 DPA 10-2-0-0
3
rd
Read 2/26/25 45-15-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 17, 2025
MM/KS/mg