Page 40 - OPTA Access Spring 2019

Membership Committee Report Sabrina Kaminski, PT - Chair
In 2018 the Membership Committee focused on establishing an early connection with PT and PTA students . A special “thank you” goes out to Brooke Maltz, Jamie Schairbaum, Jenny Smith, Mallory Kasper, and Jon Mathis for helping to organize these visits to various PT and PTA schools across the state . We couldn’t have done it without you! We look forward to the new challenges that 2019 brings in addition to continuing the initiatives established last year .
For more information, contact Sabrina at:
sj33@evansville.edu
Legislative
Report
Amanda Sines – Government Advantage Group
House Bill 131 – Enacted!!!
Legislation to update the practice act for physical therapists was introduced by Representatives Bill Reineke (R–Tiffin) and Theresa Gavarone (R–Bowling Green) in 2017. House Bill (HB) 131 clarifies that “physical therapy” includes determining a diagnosis . The bill also makes additional updates to the PT practice act, including removing the requirement that potential licensees submit a notarized copy of their application and aligning regulations for foreign educated PTAs with the laws for foreign educated PTs .
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The agreed-to diagnosis language reads: "physical therapy diagnosis" means a judgment that is made after examining the neuromusculoskeletal system or evaluating or studying its symptoms and that utilizes the techniques and science of physical therapy
to establish a plan of therapeutic intervention . "Physical therapy diagnosis" does not include a medical diagnosis .
HB 131 was voted unanimously out of the House Health Committee on March 21, 2018 . On April 11, HB 131 went on to pass out of the House of Representatives unanimously by a vote of 95-0 . The speeches and vote can be found by going to: http://www .ohiochannel .org/video/ohio-house-of- representatives-4-11-2018 .
HB 131 was referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee . Representatives Gavarone and Reineke gave testimony before the committee on May 22 . They received no questions, but committee member Senator Randy Gardner commented that he was impressed that a bill on this topic was voted out of the House 95-0 . He went further to state it was a testament to the work the sponsors must have done and commended them on their work .
OPTA President Tonya Apke gave proponent testimony on June 5 . Tonya did not receive any questions, but Chairman Burke did comment and thank Tonya for
her testimony and for reminding the committee how highly trained and educated PTs are . At this hearing, the committee accepted an amendment regarding physiotherapy which takes language regarding physiotherapy back to current law . It was previously changed by the Legislative Service Commission (LSC), but it was not a change requested by OPTA, so the amendment simply restores current law .
You can watch the proponent hearing using this link:
http://www .ohiochannel .org/collections/ohio-senate- health-human-services-and-medicaid-committee?2 . HB 131 hearing starts at about 53:40 .
One additional hearing was held June 26 . No testimony was submitted for this hearing, so there were no opponent remarks submitted to the committee . When the legislature returned from summer recess the bill had two additional hearings in committee . The bill was unanimously reported by the committee on December 4, 2018 and went on to be voted by the Ohio Senate unanimously on December 13, 2018 . That floor vote can be watched here: http://www . ohiochannel .org/video/ohio-senate-12-13-2018-part-2 .