North Carolina SB 669: Physical Therapy Practice Act Mods.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 669

Short Title: Physical Therapy Practice Act Mods. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Sawrey (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S669-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAWS REGULATING THE PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL 2
THERAPY. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 90-270.90 reads as rewritten: 5
"Article 18E. 6
"Physical Therapy. 7
"§ 90-270.90. Definitions. 8
In this Article, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions shall apply: 9
... 10
(4) "Physical therapy" means the evaluation or treatment of any person by the use 11
of physical, chemical, or other properties of heat, light, water, electricity, 12
sound, massage, or therapeutic exercise, or other rehabilitative procedures, 13
with or without assistive devices, for the purposes of preventing, correcting, 14
or alleviating a physical or mental disability. Physical therapy includes the 15
performance of specialized tests of neuromuscular function, administration of 16
specialized therapeutic procedures, interpretation and implementation of 17
referrals from licensed medical doctors or dentists, and establishment and 18
modification of physical therapy programs for patients. Evaluation and 19
treatment of patients may involve physical measures, methods, or procedures 20
as are (i) found commensurate with physical therapy education and training 21
training, (ii) the standards of acceptable and prevailing physical therapy 22
practice, and (iii) generally or specifically authorized by regulations of the 23
Board. Physical therapy education and training shall include study of the 24
skeletal manifestations of systemic disease. Physical therapy does not include 25
the application of roentgen rays or radioactive materials, surgery, the practice 26
of chiropractic, as defined by G.S. 90-143, or medical diagnosis of disease. 27
...." 28
SECTION 2. G.S. 90-270.91 reads as rewritten: 29
"§ 90-270.91. Board of Examiners. 30
The North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners is hereby created. The Board shall 31
consist of eight members, including one medical doctor licensed and residing in North Carolina, 32
four physical therapists, two physical therapist assistants, and one public member. The public 33
member shall be appointed by the Governor and shall be a person who is not licensed under 34
Chapter 90 who shall represent the interest of the public at large. The medical doctor, physical 35
therapists, and physical therapists assistants shall be appointed by the Governor from a list 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 669-First Edition
compiled by the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association, Inc., American Physical Therapy 1
Association North Carolina (APTANC), following the use of a nomination procedure made 2
available to all physical therapists and physical therapist assistants licensed and residing in North 3
Carolina. In soliciting nominations and compiling its list, the Association will give consideration 4
to geographic distribution, practice setting (institution, independent, academic, etc.), and other 5
factors that will promote representation of all aspects of physical therapy practice on the Board. 6
The records of the operation of the nomination procedure shall be filed with the Board, to be 7
available for a period of six months following nomination, for reasonable inspection by any 8
licensed practitioner. Each physical therapist member of the Board shall be licensed and reside 9
in this State; provided that the physical therapist shall have not less than three years' experience 10
as a physical therapist immediately preceding appointment and shall be actively engaged in the 11
practice of physical therapy in North Carolina during incumbency. Each physical therapist 12
assistant member shall be licensed and reside in this State; provided that the physical therapist 13
assistant shall have not less than three years' experience as a physical therapist assistant 14
immediately preceding appointment and shall be actively engaged in practice as a physical 15
therapist assistant in North Carolina during incumbency. 16
Members shall be appointed to serve three-year terms, or until their successors are appointed, 17
to commence on January 1 in respective years. In the event that a member of the Board for any 18
reason shall become ineligible to or cannot complete a term of office, another appointment shall 19
be made by the Governor, in accordance with the procedure stated above, to fill the remainder of 20
the term. No member may shall serve for more than two successive three-year terms. 21
The Board may immediately remove a member from the Board if the member is found by the 22
remainder of the Board to have (i) ceased to meet the qualifications specified in this section, (ii) 23
failed to attend three successive Board meetings without just cause, (i