SECOND REGULAR SESSION
[PERFECTED]
HOUSE BILL NO. 2149
101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE SHIELDS.
4028H.01P DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 334.530 and 334.655, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections
relating to the practice of physical therapy.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 334.530 and 334.655, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections
2 enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 334.530 and 334.655, to read as follows:
334.530. 1. A candidate for license to practice as a physical therapist shall furnish
2 evidence of such person's educational qualifications by submitting satisfactory evidence of
3 completion of a program of physical therapy education approved as reputable by the boardor
4eligibility to graduate from such a program within ninety days. A candidate who presents
5 satisfactory evidence of the person's graduation from a school of physical therapy approved as
6 reputable by the American Medical Association or, if graduated before 1936, by the American
7 Physical Therapy Association, or if graduated after 1988, the Commission on Accreditation
8 for Physical Therapy Education or its successor, is deemed to have complied with the
9 educational qualifications of this subsection.
10 2. Persons desiring to practice as physical therapists in this state shall appear before
11the board at such time and place as the board may direct and be examined as to their fitness to
12engage in such practice.Applicants shall meet the qualifying standards for such
13examinations, including any requirements established by any entity contracted by the
14board to administer the board-approved examination.Applications for examination shall
15be in writing, on a form furnished by the board and shall include evidence satisfactory to the
16board that the applicant possesses the qualifications set forth in subsection 1 of this section
17and meets the requirements established to qualify for examination. Each application
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets[thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law. Matter inbold-facetype in the above bill is proposed language. 18shallcontainastatementthatitismadeunderoathoraffirmationandthatitsrepresentations
19aretrueandcorrecttothebestknowledgeandbeliefoftheapplicant,subjecttothepenalties
20ofmakingafalseaffidavitordeclaration.
21 3.Theexaminationofqualifiedcandidatesforlicensestopracticephysicaltherapy
22shalltestentry-levelcompetenceasrelatedtophysicaltherapytheory,examinationand
23evaluation,physicaltherapydiagnosis,prognosis,treatment,intervention,prevention,and
24consultation.
25 4.Theexaminationshallembrace,inrelationtothehumanbeing,thesubjectsof
26anatomy,chemistry,kinesiology,pathology,physics,physiology,psychology,physical
27therapytheoryandproceduresasrelatedtomedicine,surgeryandpsychiatry,andsuch
28othersubjects,includingmedicalethics,astheboarddeemsusefultotestthefitnessofthe
29candidatetopracticephysicaltherapy.
30 5.Nopersonwhohasfailedonsixormoreoccasionstoachieveapassingscore
31ontheexaminationrequiredbythissectionshallbeeligibleforlicensurebyexamination
32underthissection.
33 6.Theapplicantshallpassatestadministeredbytheboardonthelawsandrules
34relatedtothepracticeofphysicaltherapyinMissouri.
334.655.1.Acandidateforlicensuretopracticeasaphysicaltherapistassistantshall
2furnishevidenceoftheperson'seducationalqualifications.Theeducationalrequirementsfor
3licensureasaphysicaltherapistassistantare:
4 (1)Acertificateofgraduationfromanaccreditedhighschooloritsequivalent;and
5 (2)Satisfactoryevidenceofcompletionofanassociatedegreeprogramofphysical
6therapyeducationaccreditedbythecommissiononaccreditationofphysicaltherapy
7educationoreligibilitytograduatefromsuchaprogramwithinninetydays.
8 2.Personsdesiringtopracticeasaphysicaltherapistassistantinthisstateshall
9appearbeforetheboardatsuchtimeandplaceastheboardmaydirectandbeexaminedasto
10theperson'sfitnesstoengageinsuchpractice.Applicantsshallmeetthequalifying
11standardsforsuchexaminations,includinganyrequirementsestablishedbyanyentity
12contractedbytheboardtoadministertheboard-approvedexamination.Applications
13forexaminationshallbeonaformfurnishedbytheboardandshallincludeevidence
14satisfactorytotheboardthattheapplicantpossessesthequalificationsprovidedinsubsection
151ofthissectionandmeetstherequirementsestablishedtoqualifyforexamination. Each
16applicationshallcontainastatementthatthestatementismadeunderoathofaffirmationand
17thatitsrepresentationsaretrueandcorrecttothebestknowledgeandbeliefoftheperson
18signingthestatement,subjecttothepenaltiesofmakingafalseaffidavitordeclaration.
19 3.Theexaminationofqualifiedcandidatesforlicensuretopracticeasphysical
20therapistassistantsshallembraceanexaminationwhichshallcoverthecurriculumtaughtin
HB2149 2 21 accredited associate degree programs of physical therapy assistant education. Such
22 examination shall be sufficient to test the qualification of the candidates as practitioners.
23 4. The examination shall include, as related to the human body, the subjects of
24 anatomy, kinesiology, pathology, physiology, psychology, physical therapy theory and
25 procedures as related to medicine and such other subjects, including medical ethics, as the
26 board deems useful to test the fitness of the candidate to practice as a physical therapist
27 assistant.
28 5. No person who has failed on six or more occasions to achieve a passing score
29on the examination required by this section shall be eligible for licensure by examination
30under this section.
31 6.The applicant shall pass a test administered by the board on the laws and rules
32 related to the practice as a physical therapist assistant in this state.
33 [6.] 7.The board shall license without examination any legally qualified person who
34 is a resident of this state and who was actively engaged in practice as a physical therapist
35 assistant on August 28, 1993. The board may license such person pursuant to this subsection
36 until ninety days after the effective date of this section.
37 [7.] 8.A candidate to practice as a physical therapist assistant who does not meet the
38 educational qualifications may submit to the board an application for examination if such
39 person can furnish written evidence to the board that the person has been employed in this
40 state for at least three of the last five years under the supervision of a licensed physical
41 therapist and such person possesses the knowledge and training equivalent to that obtained in
42 an accredited school. The board may license such persons pursuant to this subsection until
43 ninety days after rules developed by the state board of healing arts regarding physical
44 therapist assistant licensing become effective.
✔
HB 2149 3