Source: https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2017-2018/SL2017-28.html
Timestamp: 2018-12-18 16:47:31
Document Index: 335490247

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 534', '§ 14616', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90']

SL 2017-28 (HB 57)
SESSION LAW 2017-28
SECTION 1. Article 18B of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, G.S. 90‑270.24 through G.S. 90‑270.44, is recodified as Article 18E of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, G.S. 90‑270.90 through G.S. 90‑270.110.
"Article 18F.
"Physical Therapy Licensure Compact.
"§ 90‑270.120. Purpose.
The purpose of this Compact is to facilitate the 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/client is located at the time of the patient/client encounter. The Compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure. This Compact is designed to achieve the following objectives:
(1) Increase public access to physical therapy services by providing for the mutual recognition of other member state licenses.
(3) Encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate physical therapy practice.
(4) Support spouses of relocating military members.
"§ 90‑270.121. Definitions.
(2) Adverse action. – Disciplinary action taken by a physical therapy licensing board based upon misconduct, unacceptable performance, or a combination of both.
(3) Alternative program. – A nondisciplinary monitoring or practice remediation process approved by a physical therapy licensing board. This includes, but is not limited to, substance abuse issues.
(4) Compact privilege. – 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.
(5) Continuing competence. – 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.
(6) Data system. – A repository of information about licensees, including examination, licensure, investigative, compact privilege, and adverse action.
(7) Encumbered license. – A license that a physical therapy licensing board has limited in any way.
(8) Executive board. – A group of directors elected or appointed to act on behalf of, and within the powers granted to them by, the Commission.
(9) Home state. – The member state that is the licensee's primary state of residence.
(10) Investigative information. – Information, records, and documents received or generated by a physical therapy licensing board pursuant to an investigation.
(11) Jurisprudence requirement. – The assessment of an individual's knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of physical therapy in a state.
(12) Licensee. – An individual who currently holds an authorization from the state to practice as a physical therapist or to work as a physical therapist assistant.
(13) Member state. – A state that has enacted the Compact. For purposes of this Article, the State of North Carolina may designate the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners as the entity responsible for carrying out any action required by or of a member state under this Article, including the imposition of fees or the payment of assessments.
(14) Party state. – Any member state in which a licensee holds a current license or compact privilege or is applying for a license or compact privilege.
(15) Physical therapist. – An individual who is licensed by a state to practice physical therapy.
(16) Physical therapist assistant. – An individual who is licensed/certified by a state and who assists the physical therapist in selected components of physical therapy.
(17) Physical therapy, physical therapy practice, or the practice of physical therapy. – The care and services provided by or under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist.
(18) Physical Therapy Compact Commission or Commission. – The national administrative body whose membership consists of all states that have enacted the Compact.
(19) Physical Therapy Licensing Board or Licensing Board. – The agency that is responsible for the licensing and regulation of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
(20) Remote state. – A member state other than the home state where a licensee is exercising or seeking to exercise the compact privilege.
(21) Rule. – A regulation, principle, or directive promulgated by the Commission that has the force of law.
(22) State. – Any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United States of America that regulates the practice of physical therapy.
"§ 90‑270.122. State participation in the compact.
(a) To participate in the Compact, a state must do all of the following:
(1) Participate fully in the Commission's data system, including using the Commission's unique identifier as defined in rules.
(2) Have a mechanism in place for receiving and investigating complaints about licensees.
(3) Notify the Commission, in compliance with the terms of the Compact and rules, of any adverse action or 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 this section.
(5) Comply with the rules of the Commission.
(6) Utilize a recognized national examination as a requirement for licensure pursuant to the rules of the Commission.
(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 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.
"§ 90‑270.123. Compact privilege.
(a) In order to exercise the compact privilege under the terms and provisions of the Compact, the licensee shall meet all of the following qualifications:
(1) Hold a license in the home state.
(3) Be eligible for a compact privilege in any member state in accordance with subsections (d), (g), and (h) of this section.
(4) Have not had any adverse action against any license or compact privilege within the previous two years.
(7) Meet any jurisprudence requirements established by the remote state(s) in which the licensee is seeking a compact privilege.
(b) The compact privilege is valid until the expiration date of the home license. The licensee must comply with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section to maintain the compact privilege in the remote state.
(e) If a home state license is encumbered, the licensee shall lose the compact privilege in any remote state until both of the following occur:
(f) Once an encumbered license in the home state is restored to good standing, the licensee must meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this section to obtain a compact privilege in any remote state.
(g) If a licensee's compact privilege in any remote state is removed, the individual shall lose the compact privilege in any remote state until all of the following occur:
(1) The specific period of time for which the compact privilege was removed has ended.
(2) All fines have been paid.
(h) Once the requirements of subsection (g) of this section have been met, the licensee must meet the requirements in subsection (a) of this section to obtain a compact privilege in a remote state.
"§ 90‑270.124. Active duty military personnel or their spouses.
(1) Home of record.
(2) State listed on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) order.
(3) State of current residence or duty station if it is different than the PCS state or home of record.
"§ 90‑270.125. Adverse actions.
(e) A remote state shall have the authority to do all of the following:
(1) Take adverse actions as set forth in subsection (d) of G.S. 90‑270.123 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.
"§ 90‑270.126. Establishment of the Physical Therapy Compact Commission.
(1) Each member state shall have and be limited to one delegate selected by that member state's licensing board.
(c) The Commission shall have all of the following powers and duties:
(5) Promulgate uniform rules to facilitate and coordinate implementation and administration of this Compact. The rules shall have the force and effect of law and shall be binding in all member states.
(8) Borrow, accept, or contract for services of personnel, including employees of a member state.
(9) Hire employees, elect or appoint officers, fix compensation, define duties, and grant such individuals appropriate authority to (i) carry out the purposes of the Compact and (ii) 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 to 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, and accept appropriate gifts or donations of, or otherwise to own, hold, improve, or use any property, real, personal, or mixed; provided that at all times the Commission shall avoid any appearance of impropriety.
(15) Appoint committees, including standing committees composed of members, state regulators, state legislators or their representatives, 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 the following nine members:
b. One ex officio, nonvoting member from the recognized national physical therapy professional association.
(5) The Executive Board shall have all of the following duties and responsibilities:
(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 rule‑making provisions in G.S. 90‑270.128.
(2) The Commission or the Executive Board or other committees of the Commission may convene in a closed, nonpublic meeting if the Commission or Executive Board or other committees of the Commission must discuss any of the following:
a. Noncompliance of a member state with its obligations under the Compact.
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.
d. Negotiation of contracts for the purchase, lease, or sale of goods, services, or real estate.
h. Disclosure of investigative records compiled for law enforcement purposes.
i. Disclosure of information related to any investigative reports prepared by or on behalf of or for use of the Commission or other committee charged with responsibility of investigation or determination of compliance issues pursuant to the Compact.
(3) The Commission shall indemnify and hold harmless any member, officer, executive director, employee, or representative of the Commission for the amount of any settlement or judgment obtained against that person arising out of any actual or alleged act, error, or omission that occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, or that such person had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities; provided that the actual or alleged act, error, or omission did not result from the intentional or willful or wanton misconduct of that person.
"§ 90‑270.127. Data system.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of state law to the contrary, a member state shall submit a uniform data set to the data system on all individuals to whom this Compact is applicable as required by the rules of the Commission, including all of the following:
(5) Any denial of application for licensure and the reason(s) for such denial.
"§ 90‑270.128. Rule Making.
(d) Prior to promulgation and adoption of a final rule or rules by the Commission, and at least 30 days in advance of the meeting at which the rule will be considered and voted upon, the Commission shall file a Notice of Proposed Rule Making on both of the following:
(2) On the Web site of each member state physical therapy licensing board or other publicly accessible platform or the publication in which each state would otherwise publish proposed rules.
(e) The Notice of Proposed Rule Making shall include all of the following:
(k) The Commission shall, by majority vote of all members, take final action on the proposed rule and shall determine the effective date of the rule, if any, based on the rule‑making record and the full text of the rule.
(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 rule‑making 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 do any of the following:
"§ 90‑270.129. Oversight, dispute resolution, and enforcement.
(1) If the Commission determines that a member state has defaulted in the performance of its obligations or responsibilities under this Compact or the promulgated rules, the Commission shall do all of the following:
a. Provide written notice to the defaulting state and other member states of the nature of the default, the proposed means of curing the default and/or any other action to be taken by the Commission.
(2) If a state in default fails to cure the default, the defaulting state may be terminated from the Compact upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the member states and all rights, privileges, and benefits conferred by this Compact may be terminated on the effective date of termination. A cure of the default does not relieve the offending state of obligations or liabilities incurred during the period of default.
(6) The defaulting state may appeal the action of the Commission by petitioning the U.S. 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 attorneys' fees.
(2) By majority vote, the Commission may initiate legal action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia or the federal district where the Commission has its principal offices against a member state in default to enforce compliance with the provisions of the Compact and its promulgated rules and bylaws. The relief sought may include both injunctive relief and damages. In the event judicial enforcement is necessary, the prevailing member shall be awarded all costs of such litigation, including reasonable attorneys' fees.
"§ 90‑270.130. Date of implementation of the interstate Commission for Physical Therapy Practice and associated rules, withdrawal, and amendment.
"§ 90‑270.131. 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 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."
SECTION 3. G.S. 93B‑15.1 reads as rewritten:
(3) Has not committed any act in any jurisdiction that would have constituted grounds for refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license to practice that occupation in this State at the time the act was committed.committed and has no pending complaints.
(4) Is in good standing and standing; has not been disciplined by the agency that had jurisdiction to issue the license, certification, or permit.permit; and has no pending complaints.
(f) An occupational licensing board may shall issue a temporary practice permit to a military‑trained applicant or military spouse licensed, certified, or registered in another jurisdiction while the military‑trained applicant or military spouse is satisfying the requirements for licensure under subsection (a) or (b) of this section if that jurisdiction has licensure, certification, or registration standards substantially equivalent to the standards for licensure, certification, or registration of an occupation licensing board in this State. The military‑trained applicant or military spouse may practice under the temporary permit shall remain valid for the later of one year or the required renewal date for the occupation the temporary practice permit was issued for or until a license, certification, or registration is granted or until a notice to deny a license, certification, or registration is issued in accordance with rules adopted by the occupational licensing board.
(k) An occupational licensing board shall not charge a military‑trained applicant or a military spouse an initial application fee for a license, certification, registration, or temporary practice permit issued pursuant to this section. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit an occupational licensing board from charging its ordinary fee for a renewal application or prohibit a third party from charging actual costs for a service such as a background check."
SECTION 4. Sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective October 1, 2017. The North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners shall report to the Revisor of Statutes when the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact has been enacted by the tenth member state. Section 3 becomes effective July 1, 2017, and applies to applications submitted on or after that date. Except as otherwise provided, the remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.
Approved 11:13 a.m. this 8th day of June, 2017