Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title54.1/chapter34.1/article2/
Timestamp: 2020-01-29 18:23:31
Document Index: 714574479

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 1209', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 534', '§ 14616', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54', '§ 54']

Code of Virginia Code - Article 2. Physical Therapy Licensure Compact
Table of Contents » Title 54.1. Professions and Occupations » Chapter 34.1. Physical Therapy » Article 2. Physical Therapy Licensure Compact
Article 2. Physical Therapy Licensure Compact.
§ 54.1-3485. (Effective January 1, 2020) Form of compact; declaration of purpose.
A. The General Assembly hereby enacts, and the Commonwealth of Virginia hereby enters into, the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact with any and all jurisdictions legally joining therein according to its terms, in the form substantially as follows.
B. The purpose of this Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of physical therapy with the goal of improving public access to physical therapy services. The practice of physical therapy occurs in the state where the patient is located at the time of the patient encounter. The Compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure.
2. Enhance the states' ability to protect the public's health and safety;
6. Allow a remote state to hold a provider of services with a compact privilege in that state accountable to that state's practice standards.
§ 54.1-3486. (Effective January 1, 2020) Definitions.
"Active duty military" means full-time duty status in the active uniformed service of the United States, including members of the National Guard and Reserve on active duty orders pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §§ 1209 and 1211.
"Adverse action" means disciplinary action taken by a physical therapy licensing board based upon misconduct, unacceptable performance, or a combination of both.
"Alternative program" means a nondisciplinary monitoring or practice remediation process approved by a physical therapy licensing board. This includes, but is not limited to, substance abuse issues.
"Compact privilege" means the authorization granted by a remote state to allow a licensee from another member state to practice as a physical therapist or work as a physical therapist assistant in the remote state under its laws and rules. The practice of physical therapy occurs in the member state where the patient/client is located at the time of the patient/client encounter.
"Continuing competence" means a requirement, as a condition of license renewal, to provide evidence of participation in, and/or completion of, educational and professional activities relevant to practice or area of work.
"Data system" means a repository of information about licensees, including examination, licensure, investigative, compact privilege, and adverse action.
"Encumbered license" means a license that a physical therapy licensing board has limited in any way.
"Executive Board" means a group of directors elected or appointed to act on behalf of, and within the powers granted to them, by the Commission.
"Home state" means the member state that is the licensee's primary state of residence.
"Investigative information" means information, records, and documents received or generated by a physical therapy licensing board pursuant to an investigation.
"Jurisprudence requirement" means the assessment of an individual's knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of physical therapy in a state.
"Licensee" means an individual who currently holds an authorization from the state to practice as a physical therapist or to work as a physical therapist assistant.
"Party state" means any member state in which a licensee holds a current license or compact privilege or is applying for a license or compact privilege.
"Physical therapist" means an individual who is licensed by a state to practice physical therapy.
"Physical therapist assistant" means an individual who is licensed or certified by a state and who assists the physical therapist in selected components of physical therapy.
"Physical therapy," "physical therapy practice," and "the practice of physical therapy" mean the care and services provided by or under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist as defined by § 54.1-3473.
"Physical therapy licensing board" or "licensing board" means the agency of a state that is responsible for the licensing and regulation of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
"Remote state" means a member state other than the home state, where a licensee is exercising or seeking to exercise the compact privilege.
"Rule" means a regulation, principle, or directive promulgated by the Commission that has the force of law.
"State" means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United States of America that regulates the practice of physical therapy.
§ 54.1-3487. (Effective January 1, 2020) State participation in the Compact.
1. Participate fully in the Commission's data system, including using the Commission's unique identifier as defined in rules;
3. Notify the Commission, in compliance with the terms of the Compact and rules, of any adverse action or of the availability of investigative information regarding a licensee;
4. Fully implement a criminal background check requirement, within a time frame established by rule, by receiving the results of the Federal Bureau of Investigation record search on criminal background checks and use the results in making licensure decisions in accordance with subsection B of § 54.1-3488;
B. Upon adoption of this statute, the member state shall have the authority to obtain biometric-based information from each physical therapy licensure applicant and shall submit this information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a criminal background check in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 534 and 42 U.S.C. § 14616.
§ 54.1-3488. (Effective January 1, 2020) Compact privilege.
3. Be eligible for a compact privilege in any member state in accordance with subsections D, G, and H;
5. Notify the Commission that the licensee is seeking the compact privilege within a remote state or remote states;
7. Meet any jurisprudence requirements established by the remote state or states in which the licensee is seeking a compact privilege; and
8. Report to the Commission adverse action taken by any nonmember state within 30 days from the date the adverse action is taken.
B. The compact privilege is valid until the expiration date of the home license. The licensee must comply with the requirements of subsection A to maintain the compact privilege in the remote state.
F. Once an encumbered license in the home state is restored to good standing, the licensee must meet the requirements of subsection A to obtain a compact privilege in any remote state.
H. Once the requirements of subsection G have been met, the licensee must meet the requirements in subsection A to obtain a compact privilege in a remote state.
§ 54.1-3489. (Effective January 1, 2020) Active duty military personnel or their spouses.
1. Home of record;
2. Permanent Change of Station (PCS); or
3. State of current residence if it is different from the PCS state or home of record.
§ 54.1-3490. (Effective January 1, 2020) Adverse actions.
C. Nothing in this Compact shall override a member state's decision that participation in an alternative program may be used in lieu of adverse action and that such participation shall remain non-public if required by the member state's laws. Member states must require licensees who enter any alternative programs in lieu of discipline to agree not to practice in any other member state during the term of the alternative program without prior authorization from such other member state.
1. Take adverse actions as set forth in subsection D of § 54.1-3488 against a licensee's compact privilege in the state;
2. Issue subpoenas for both hearings and investigations that require the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of evidence. Subpoenas issued by a physical therapy licensing board in a party state for the attendance and testimony of witnesses and/or the production of evidence from another party state shall be enforced in the latter state by any court of competent jurisdiction, according to the practice and procedure of that court applicable to subpoenas issued in proceedings pending before it. The issuing authority shall pay any witness fees, travel expenses, mileage, and other fees required by the service statutes of the state where the witnesses and/or evidence are located; and
F. Joint investigations.
§ 54.1-3491. (Effective January 1, 2020) Establishment of the Physical Therapy Compact Commission.
A. The Compact member states hereby create and establish a joint public agency known as the Physical Therapy Compact Commission.
2. Venue is proper and judicial proceedings by or against the Commission shall be brought solely and exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction where the principal office of the Commission is located. The Commission may waive venue and jurisdictional defenses to the extent that it adopts or consents to participate in alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
2. The delegate shall be a current member of the licensing board who is a physical therapist, a physical therapist assistant, a public member, or the board administrator.
9. Hire employees, elect or appoint officers, fix compensation, define duties, and grant such individuals appropriate authority to carry out the purposes of the Compact and establish the Commission's personnel policies and programs relating to conflicts of interest, qualifications of personnel, and other related personnel matters;
10. Accept any and all appropriate donations and grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials, and services and receive, utilize and dispose of the same, provided that at all times the Commission shall avoid any appearance of impropriety and/or conflict of interest;
11. Lease, purchase, accept appropriate gifts or donations of, or otherwise own, hold, improve, or use any property, real, personal or mixed, provided that at all times the Commission shall avoid any appearance of impropriety;
12. Sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, lease, exchange, abandon, or otherwise dispose of any property, real, personal, or mixed;
15. Appoint committees, including standing committees composed of members, state regulators, state legislators or their representatives, and consumer representatives and such other interested persons as may be designated in this Compact and the bylaws;
D. The Executive Board.
1. The Executive Board shall be composed of nine members as follows:
g. Perform other duties as provided in rules or bylaws.
E. Meetings of the Commission.
1. All meetings shall be open to the public, and public notice of meetings shall be given in the same manner as required under the rulemaking provisions in § 54.1-3493.
b. The employment, compensation, discipline, or other matters, practices, or procedures related to specific employees or other matters related to the Commission's internal personnel practices and procedures;
h. Disclosure of investigative records compiled for law-enforcement purposes;
3. If a meeting or portion of a meeting is closed pursuant to this provision, the Commission's legal counsel or designee shall certify that the meeting may be closed and shall reference each relevant exempting provision.
4. The Commission shall keep minutes that fully and clearly describe all matters discussed in a meeting and shall provide a full and accurate summary of actions taken and the reasons therefor, including a description of the views expressed. All documents considered in connection with an action shall be identified in such minutes. All minutes and documents of a closed meeting shall remain under seal, subject to release by a majority vote of the Commission or order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
1. The Commission shall pay or provide for the payment of the reasonable expenses of its establishment, organization, and ongoing activities.
1. The members, officers, executive director, employees, and representatives of the Commission shall be immune from suit and liability, either personally or in their official capacity, for any claim for damage to or loss of property or personal injury or other civil liability caused by or arising out of any actual or alleged act, error, or omission that occurred or that the person against whom the claim is made had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, provided that nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to protect any such person from suit and/or liability for any damage, loss, injury, or liability caused by the intentional or willful or wanton misconduct of that person.
2. The Commission shall defend any member, officer, executive director, employee, or representative of the Commission in any civil action seeking to impose liability arising out of any actual or alleged act, error, or omission that occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities or that the person against whom the claim is made had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, provided that nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit that person from retaining his or her own counsel and provided further that the actual or alleged act, error, or omission did not result from that person's intentional or willful or wanton misconduct.
§ 54.1-3492. (Effective January 1, 2020) Data system.
5. Any denial of application for licensure, and the reason or reasons for such denial; and
§ 54.1-3493. (Effective January 1, 2020) Rulemaking.
B. If a majority of the legislatures of the member states rejects a rule, by enactment of a statute or resolution in the same manner used to adopt the Compact within four years of the date of adoption of the rule, then such rule shall have no further force and effect in any member state.
3. All hearings shall be recorded. A copy of the recording shall be made available on request.
L. Upon determination that an emergency exists, the Commission may consider and adopt an emergency rule without prior notice, opportunity for comment, or hearing, provided that the usual rulemaking procedures provided in the Compact and in this section shall be retroactively applied to the rule as soon as reasonably possible, in no event later than 90 days after the effective date of the rule. For the purposes of this provision, an emergency rule is one that must be adopted immediately in order to:
§ 54.1-3494. (Effective January 1, 2020) Oversight, dispute resolution, and enforcement.
6. The defaulting state may appeal the action of the Commission by petitioning the United States District Court for the District of Columbia or the federal district where the Commission has its principal offices. The prevailing member shall be awarded all costs of such litigation, including reasonable attorney fees.
§ 54.1-3495. (Effective January 1, 2020) Date of implementation of the Interstate Commission for Physical Therapy Practice and associated rules, withdrawal, and amendment.
§ 54.1-3496. (Effective January 1, 2020) Construction and severability.
This Compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this Compact shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this Compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or the Constitution of the United States, or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this Compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this Compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any party state, the Compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining party states and in full force and effect as to the party state affected as to all severable matters.