SLS 16RS-161 ENGROSSED
2016 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 291
BY SENATORS MILLS, DONAHUE, PEACOCK AND TARVER
HEALTH CARE. Provides for patient access to physical therapy services without a
prescription or referral from a physician. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 37:2418(B) and to repeal R.S. 37:2418(C) and (D), relative to
3 the practice of physical therapy; to authorize implementation of physical therapy
4 services in certain circumstances; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for
5 related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 37:2418(B) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 ยง2418. Authority to practice as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant
9 * * *
10 B. Without prescription or referral, a physical therapist may perform an
11 initial evaluation or consultation of a screening nature to determine the need for
12 physical therapy and may perform physical therapy or other services provided in
13 Subsection C of this Section. However, implementation of A physical therapist
14 may implement physical therapy treatment shall otherwise be based on the with or
15 without a prescription or referral of a person licensed to practice medicine, surgery,
16 dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic.
17 * * *
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 291
SLS 16RS-161 ENGROSSED
1 Section 2. R.S. 37:2418(C) and (D) are hereby repealed in their entirety.
2 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
3 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
4 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
5 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
6 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christine Arbo Peck.
DIGEST
SB 291 Engrossed 2016 Regular Session Mills
Present law provides that except under certain circumstances as specified in present law,
physical therapy treatment may only be implemented based on the prescription or referral
of a person licensed to practice medicine, surgery, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic.
Proposed law revises present law to provide that a physical therapist may render physical
therapy treatment with or without a type of prescription or referral provided for in present
law.
Proposed law repeals provisions of present law which become inapplicable pursuant to
proposed law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 37:2418(B); repeals R.S. 37:2418(C) and (D))
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.