SB2382 Engrossed LRB093 16068 AMC 41694 b

1     AN ACT concerning professional regulation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Physical Therapy Act is amended by
5 changing Sections 8 and 8.1 as follows:
 
6     (225 ILCS 90/8)  (from Ch. 111, par. 4258)
7     (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2006)
8     Sec. 8. Qualifications for licensure as a Physical
9 Therapist.
10     (a) A person is qualified to receive a license as a
11 physical therapist if that person has applied in writing, on
12 forms prescribed by the Department, has paid the required fees,
13 and meets all of the following requirements:
14         (1) He or she is at least 18 years of age and of good
15 moral character. In determining moral character, the
16 Department may take into consideration any felony
17 conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction shall
18 not operate automatically as a complete bar to a license.
19         (2) He or she must have a post-baccalaureate degree
20 from a college or university physical therapy education
21 program approved by the Commission on Accreditation in
22 Physical Therapy Education. A person who graduated from a
23 physical therapy program outside the United States or its
24 territories must submit evidence that his or her
25 educational background is substantially equivalent to a
26 post-baccalaureate degree from a Commission on
27 Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education approved
28 physical therapy educational program and conferred by a
29 regionally accredited college or university in the United
30 States. He or she has graduated from a curriculum in
31 physical therapy approved by the Department. In approving a
32 curriculum in physical therapy, the Department shall

 

 

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1 consider, but not be bound by, accreditation by the
2 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
3 A person who graduated from a physical therapy program
4 outside the United States or its territories shall have his
5 or her degree validated as equivalent to a physical therapy
6 degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or
7 university in the United States. The Department may
8 establish by rule a method for the completion of course
9 deficiencies.
10         (3) He or she has passed an examination approved by the
11 Department to determine his fitness for practice as a
12 physical therapist, or is entitled to be licensed without
13 examination as provided in Sections 10 and 11 of this Act.
14 A person who graduated from a physical therapy program
15 outside the United States or its territories and whose
16 first language is not English shall submit certification of
17 passage of the Test of English as a Foreign Language
18 (TOEFL) and the Test of Spoken English (TSE) as defined by
19 rule prior to taking the licensure examination.
20     (b) The Department reserves the right and may request a
21 personal interview of an applicant before the Committee to
22 further evaluate his or her qualifications for a license.
23 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
 
24     (225 ILCS 90/8.1)  (from Ch. 111, par. 4258.1)
25     (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2006)
26     Sec. 8.1. Qualifications for licensure as a physical
27 therapist assistant. A person is qualified to receive a license
28 as a physical therapist assistant if that person has applied in
29 writing, on forms prescribed by the Department, has paid the
30 required fees and:
31         (1) Is at least 18 years of age and of good moral
32 character. In determining moral character, the Department
33 may take into consideration any felony conviction of the
34 applicant, but such a conviction shall not operate
35 automatically as a complete bar to a license;

 

 

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1         (2) Has graduated from a 2 year college-level physical
2 therapist therapy assistant program accredited by the
3 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
4 A person who graduated from a physical therapy assistant
5 program outside the United States or its territories must
6 submit evidence that his or her educational background is
7 substantially equivalent to a Commission on Accreditation
8 in Physical Therapy Education program and conferred by a
9 regionally accredited college or university in the United
10 States. approved by the Department. In approving such a
11 physical therapist assistant program the Department shall
12 consider but not be bound by accreditation by the
13 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
14 Any person who graduated from a physical therapy assistant
15 program outside the United States or its territories shall
16 have his or her degree validated as equivalent to a
17 physical therapy assistant degree conferred by a
18 regionally accredited college or university in the United
19 States. The Department may establish by rule a method for
20 the completion of course deficiencies; and
21         (3) Has successfully completed the examination
22 authorized by the Department. A person who graduated from a
23 physical therapy assistant program outside the United
24 States or its territories and whose first language is not
25 English shall submit certification of passage of the Test
26 of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of
27 Spoken English (TSE) as defined by rule prior to taking the
28 licensure examination.
29 (Source: P.A. 89-387, eff. 1-1-96.)
 
30     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
31 becoming law.