HB 18-1155

House Bill 18-1155, which has been signed into law, updates Colorado's regulations for physical therapists and their assistants. It extends the licensing period until 2024, clarifies that physical therapists can make diagnoses and perform dry needling with proper training, and requires them to supervise unlicensed therapists adequately. The bill also introduces a continuing professional competency program for physical therapist assistants and allows these assistants to perform certain medical procedures under supervision. This affects all licensed physical therapists and their assistants in Colorado by setting new standards and requirements for their practice.

Official Summary

Sunset Process - House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report concerning the 'Physical Therapy Practice Act' as follows: Extends the licensing of physical therapists and the certification of physical therapist assistants until 2024 ( sections 1 through 3 ); Clarifies that a physical therapist may make physical therapy diagnoses ( sections 5 and 7 ); Allows a physical therapist to perform dry needling if the physical therapist has the knowledge, skill, ability, and competency to perform the act and has completed a dry needling course and obtains informed consent from the patient. The bill also allows the department to promulgate rules to establish requirements for dry needling ( section 8 ); Clarifies that a physical therapist's scope of practice includes the direct supervision of unlicensed physical therapists ( section 9 ); Requires that physical therapy professional development activities must be measured by a contact-hour-to-credit-hour ratio ( section 10 ); and Adds as grounds for disciplinary action the failure to supervise physical therapist assistants; and the failure to report an adverse action, the surrender of a license, or other discipline taken in another jurisdiction ( section 11 ). In addition, the bill: Allows a physical therapist assistant to perform noninvasive wound debridement under the supervision of a physical therapist ( sections 13 and 15 ); Repeals some elements of the continuing professional competency program for physical therapists ( section 13 ) and subjects physical therapist assistants to a continuing professional competency program ( section 14 ); Replaces a physical therapist member of the physical therapy board with a physical therapist assistant member ( section 6 ); and Removes physical therapists practicing in Colorado pursuant to the 'Interstate Physical Therapy Licensure Compact Act' from the 'Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010' ( section 16 ).(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

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