093_SB0254sam001











                                     LRB093 05750 AMC 13754 a

 1                    AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 254

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend Senate Bill 254  by  replacing
 3    everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 4        "Section 5.  The Illinois Physical Therapy Act is amended
 5    by 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 7        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2006)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
13    fees, and meets all of the following requirements:
14             (1)  He  or  she  is at least 18 years of age and of
15        good 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)  A  person  applying  for  licensure  after  the
20        effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
21        Assembly must have a  post-baccalaureate  degree  from  a
22        college  or university physical therapy education program
 
                            -2-      LRB093 05750 AMC 13754 a
 1        approved by the Commission on Accreditation  in  Physical
 2        Therapy  Education.   A  person  who   graduated  from  a
 3        physical therapy program outside the United States or its
 4        territories   must   submit  evicence  that  his  or  her
 5        educational background is substantially equivalent  to  a
 6        post-baccalaureate    degree   from   a   Commission   on
 7        Accreditation  in  Physical  Therapy  Education  approved
 8        physical therapy educational program and conferred  by  a
 9        regionally accredited college or university in the United
10        States.  He  or  she  has  graduated from a curriculum in
11        physical  therapy  approved  by   the   Department.    In
12        approving   a   curriculum   in   physical  therapy,  the
13        Department  shall  consider,  but  not   be   bound   by,
14        accreditation  by  the  Commission  on  Accreditation  in
15        Physical  Therapy Education.  A person who graduated from
16        a physical therapy program outside the United  States  or
17        its territories shall have his or her degree validated as
18        equivalent  to  a  physical therapy degree conferred by a
19        regionally accredited college or university in the United
20        States.  The Department may establish by  rule  a  method
21        for the completion of course deficiencies.
22             (3)  He or she has passed an examination approved by
23        the Department to determine his fitness for practice as a
24        physical therapist, or is entitled to be licensed without
25        examination  as  provided  in  Sections 10 and 11 of this
26        Act. A person  who  graduated  from  a  physical  therapy
27        program  outside the United States or its territories and
28        whose  first  language  is  not  English   shall   submit
29        certification  of  passage  of  the  Test of English as a
30        Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of  Spoken  English
31        (TSE)  as  defined  by rule prior to taking the licensure
32        examination.
33        (b)  The Department reserves the right and may request  a
34    personal  interview  of  an applicant before the Committee to
 
                            -3-      LRB093 05750 AMC 13754 a
 1    further evaluate his or her qualifications for a license.
 2    (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

 3        (225 ILCS 90/8.1) (from Ch. 111, par. 4258.1)
 4        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2006)
 5        Sec. 8.1.  Qualifications for  licensure  as  a  physical
 6    therapist  assistant.   A  person  is  qualified to receive a
 7    license as a physical therapist assistant if that person  has
 8    applied  in  writing,  on forms prescribed by the Department,
 9    has paid the required fees and:
10             (1)  Is at least 18 years of age and of  good  moral
11        character.    In   determining   moral   character,   the
12        Department   may   take  into  consideration  any  felony
13        conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction  shall
14        not operate automatically as a complete bar to a license;
15             (2)  Has  graduated  from  a  2  year  college-level
16        physical  therapist  therapy assistant program accredited
17        by the Commission on Accreditation  in  Physical  Therapy
18        Education.   A  person  who  graduated  from  a  physical
19        therapy  assistant  program  outside the United States or
20        its territories must submit  evidence  that  his  or  her
21        educational  background  is substantially equivalent to a
22        Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
23        program and conferred by a regionally accredited  college
24        or  university  in  the  United  States.  approved by the
25        Department.   In  approving  such  a  physical  therapist
26        assistant program the Department shall consider  but  not
27        be   bound   by   accreditation   by  the  Commission  on
28        Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.  Any  person
29        who  graduated  from a physical therapy assistant program
30        outside the United States or its territories  shall  have
31        his  or  her degree validated as equivalent to a physical
32        therapy  assistant  degree  conferred  by  a   regionally
33        accredited  college  or  university in the United States.
 
                            -4-      LRB093 05750 AMC 13754 a
 1        The Department may establish by rule  a  method  for  the
 2        completion of course deficiencies; and
 3             (3)  Has   successfully  completed  the  examination
 4        authorized by the Department.   A  person  who  graduated
 5        from  a  physical  therapy  assistant program outside the
 6        United States or its territories and whose first language
 7        is not English shall submit certification of  passage  of
 8        the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the
 9        Test  of Spoken English (TSE) as defined by rule prior to
10        taking the licensure examination.
11    (Source: P.A. 89-387, eff. 1-1-96.)".