HB110 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Parker MooreRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Board of Physical Therapy; to amend Sections 34-24-191, 34-24-193, 34-24-194, 34-24-196, 34-24-210, 34-24-210.1, 34-24-211, 34-24-212, 34-24-213, 34-24-214, and 34-24-217, Code of Alabama 1975; to give the board authority over certain physical therapy professionals licensed in other states.

Summary

HB110 gives Alabama's Board of Physical Therapy authority over physical therapists and assistants licensed in other states who practice in Alabama under the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact.

What This Bill Does

It expands the board's jurisdiction to include out-of-state professionals who hold compact privileges to practice in Alabama. It allows the board to license, regulate, and discipline compact privilege holders, maintain registries, and collect related fees. It creates the Alabama Physical Therapy Wellness Committee to identify and help impaired licensees, with confidentiality protections and immunity for participants. It also details fines, sanctions, and grounds for disciplinary action, and requires background checks and rulemaking to implement these changes.

Who It Affects

• Out-of-state physical therapists and physical therapy assistants who hold compact privileges to practice in Alabama; they would be subject to Alabama Board oversight, licensing/discipline, and registry requirements.
• Alabama residents and Alabama-licensed physical therapists and physical therapy assistants; they would be affected by strengthened regulation of compact practitioners, oversight mechanisms, and the Wellness Committee's impairment program to protect patients.

Key Provisions

• Defines compact-related terms (Compact Privilege, Compact Privilege Holder, Commission) and expands the Board's authority over out-of-state compact-privilege holders practicing in Alabama.
• Authorizes the Board to license, discipline, suspend, or revoke compact privileges; maintain a living registry of licensees and compact privilege holders; and establish collectable fees related to compact privileges and certification to other boards.
• Authorizes issuance of compact privileges or licenses without full Alabama licensure for those who meet out-of-state licensing requirements substantially equal to Alabama's, and addresses foreign-educated applicants with education evaluations.
• Creates the Alabama Physical Therapy Wellness Committee, with contracts to nonprofits or professional associations; establishes procedures for reporting, intervention, treatment, monitoring, and rehabilitation of impaired licensees; and provides confidentiality and immunity protections.
• Imposes disciplinary authority and penalties (fines up to $1,000 per violation) and lists grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of licenses or compact privileges; includes safe harbor provisions for certain physician employment relationships.
• Requires applicants to undergo background checks (criminal history) with costs paid by the applicant; authorizes board-imposed fees for examinations, continuing education, and related services.
• Allows certain services to be provided without prescription/referral under 210.1, while requiring referral for other services; defines eligible scenarios and note on the need for plan of care.
• Requires the board to issue licenses without examination to certain out-of-state-qualified individuals and to evaluate foreign-educated credentials for equivalency; sets rules for implementing the chapter by January 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Physical Therapy Practice Act; to give the board authority over certain physical therapy professionals licensed in other states.