Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB3499

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to extend the repeal of the Illinois Physical Therapy Act to January 1, 2016. Amends the Physical Therapy Act. Changes all references from the Physical Therapy Licensing and Disciplinary Committee and the Physical Therapy Examining Committee to the Physical Therapy Licensing and Disciplinary Board. Changes the definition of "physical therapy" to mean and include (A) examining, evaluating, and testing individuals who may have mechanical, physiological, or developmental impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, or other health and movement-related conditions, determining a treatment diagnosis for these disorders and rehabilitation prognosis and plan of therapeutic intervention, and assessing the on-going effects of the interventions, (B) alleviating impairments, functional limitations, or disabilities by designing, implementing, and modifying therapeutic interventions for the purposes of preventing, correcting, or alleviating a physical or mental impairment, functional limitation, or disability, (C) reducing the risk of injury, impairment, functional limitation, or disability, including the promotion and maintenance of fitness, health, and wellness, and (D) engaging in administration, consultation, education, and research. Provides that a majority of Board members then appointed constitutes a quorum and that a majority vote of the quorum is required for a Board decision. Changes references to a physical therapy assistant program to a physical therapist assistant program. Provides that a person must have graduated from and attained an associate's degree from an approved physical therapist assistant program in order to be qualified to receive a license as a physical therapist assistant (now, a person is required to have graduated from a 2-year college level physical therapy assistant program). Provides that following notification of eligibility for examination, an applicant who fails to take the examination for a license under the Act within 60 days of the notification shall forfeit his or her fee and right to practice as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant until such time as the applicant has passed the appropriate examination (now, an applicant who fails to take the next-scheduled examination forfeits his fee and right to practice). Effective immediately.

Provides that "physical therapy" means classifying certain disorders and determining a rehabilitation prognosis and plan of therapeutic intervention (rather than determining a treatment diagnosis for certain disorders and a rehabilitation prognosis and plan of therapeutic intervention). Provides that physical therapy does not include chiropractic technique or determination of a differential diagnosis (rather than a differential medical diagnosis), provided that the limitation on determining a differential diagnosis (rather than a differential medical diagnosis) shall not in any manner limit a physical therapist licensed under the Act from performing an evaluation pursuant to the license.

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