Sec. 20-71. Licensure without examination. Physical therapists and physical therapy assistants. Exceptions.

(a) The Department of Public Health may issue a license to practice physical therapy without examination, on payment of a fee of two hundred twenty-five dollars, to an applicant who is a physical therapist registered or licensed under the laws of any other state or territory of the United States, any province of Canada or any other country, if the requirements for registration or licensure of physical therapists in such state, territory, province or country are deemed by the department to be equivalent to, or higher than those prescribed in this chapter.

(b) The department may issue a physical therapist assistant license without examination, on payment of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars, to an applicant who is a physical therapist assistant registered or licensed under the laws of any other state or territory of the United States, any province of Canada or any other country, if the requirements for registration or licensure of physical therapist assistants in such state, territory, province or country are deemed by the department to be equivalent to, or higher than those prescribed in this chapter.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 20-70, prior to April 30, 2007, the commissioner may issue a physical therapist assistant license to any applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having completed twenty years of employment as a physical therapist assistant prior to October 1, 1989, on payment of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 20-70, the commissioner may issue a physical therapist assistant license to any applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having registered as a physical therapist assistant with the Department of Public Health on or before April 1, 2006, on payment of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 20-70, prior to July 1, 2015, the commissioner may issue a physical therapist assistant license to any applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having been eligible to register as a physical therapist assistant with the Department of Public Health on or before April 1, 2006, on payment of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars.

(1949 Rev., S. 4404; 1953, S. 2207d; 1959, P.A. 575, S. 3; 616, S. 22; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 385, 610; P.A. 81-473, S. 18, 43; P.A. 89-251, S. 80, 203; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 21, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-271, S. 27, 40; P.A. 00-226, S. 14, 20; P.A. 06-195, S. 47; P.A. 07-252, S. 26, 27; P.A. 14-231, S. 48.)

History: 1959 acts increased fee in Subsec. (a) from $10 and added Subsec. (b); P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services and required that qualifying examination be acceptable to commissioner of health services as well as to board of examiners in Subsec. (b), effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-473 amended section to permit the department, with the consent of the board, to set fees for licensure by endorsement and to conform licensing procedures with those of other health professions under sunset review process begun in 1980; P.A. 89-251 set the application fee at $150, where previously fee was set by department with board's consent; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 raised license fee from $150 to $225; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-271 deleted the requirement that the foreign state, etc., grant reciprocity, deleted former Subsec. (b) re licensure without examination based on certain schooling and made a technical change; P.A. 00-226 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), making technical changes therein, and added new Subsec. (b) re issuance of physical therapist assistant license without examination, effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 06-195 deleted former Subsec. (b)(2) and (3) re conditions for granting physical therapist assistant licenses without examination and added Subsecs. (c) and (d) re physical therapist assistant licensure without examination for applicants who have either completed 20 years of employment as a physical therapist assistant before October 1, 1989, or registered as a physical therapist assistant with Department of Public Health on or before April 1, 2006, effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to give department complete discretion in determining whether the qualifications of applicants for licensure without examination who are licensed or registered in another jurisdiction are equivalent to, or higher than, those prescribed in chapter; P.A. 14-231 added Subsec. (e) re applicant eligible to register as a physical therapist assistant on or before April 1, 2006.