HB310 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ron Johnson

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Podiatry, scope of practice expanded to include foot, ankle, and lower leg, Sec. 34-24-230 am'd.

Summary

HB 310 would broaden the scope of podiatry in Alabama to diagnose and treat disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower leg, including certain surgical and drug-prescribing authority.

What This Bill Does

It expands the podiatry scope to include treating disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. It allows podiatric physicians to perform medical, surgical, mechanical, manipulative, and electrical treatments within that area, including the amputation of toes or parts of the foot but not of the leg, and it restricts surgical work to below the anterior tibial tubercle with anesthesia limited to local options. It also lets podiatrists prescribe drugs related to their authorized scope.

Who It Affects

• Podiatric physicians in Alabama, whose scope of practice is expanded to include foot, ankle, and lower-leg disorders and related procedures.
• Patients with foot, ankle, or lower-leg disorders who could receive diagnosis, treatment, surgeries (toes/foot parts), and prescriptions from podiatric doctors.

Key Provisions

• Expands 'Foot, Ankle, and Lower Leg' to include treatment of disorders in these areas.
• Defines and broadens 'Practice of Podiatry' to cover medical, surgical, mechanical, manipulative, and electrical treatment of disorders in the foot, ankle, and lower leg; amputation of toes or parts of the foot is allowed, leg amputation is not.
• Surgical treatment is limited to the part below the anterior tibial tubercle and must be performed with local anesthesia only (no general anesthesia).
• Amputation of the leg entire or any portion of the leg is not permitted; podiatrists may perform toe/foot amputations within scope.
• Podiatric physicians may prescribe drugs that relate specifically to the scope of practice.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Podiatry