Senate Bill S4892A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to physical therapist assistants

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-S4892 - Details

Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §6738, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S9213

2025-S4892 - Summary

Provides that supervision by a licensed physical therapist of a physical therapist assistant shall be continuous but shall not require the physical presence of the licensed physical therapist at the time and place where services are being performed; requires a licensed physical therapist to be available for consultation with the physical therapist assistant or the patient within a reasonable amount of time.

2025-S4892 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4892 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4892
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  physical  therapist
   assistants
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision a of section 6738  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  511  of  the  laws  of 2022, is amended to read as
 follows:
   a. A "physical therapist assistant" means a person licensed in accord-
 ance with this article who works under the DIRECTION AND supervision  of
 a licensed physical therapist performing such patient related activities
 as  are  assigned by the supervising physical therapist. Duties of phys-
 ical therapist  assistants  shall  not  include  evaluation,  [testing,]
 interpretation,   planning  or  modification  of  [patient  programs]  A
 PATIENT'S PLAN OF CARE.   [Supervision of a]  THE  SUPERVISING  LICENSED
 physical  therapist  [assistant  by  a  licensed] SHALL BE AVAILABLE FOR
 CONSULTATION WITH THE physical therapist [shall be on-site  supervision,
 but  not  necessarily direct personal supervision] ASSISTANT IN A TIMELY
 MANNER, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE PRACTICE SETTING, THE CONDITION OF
 THE PATIENT AND THE PHYSICAL  THERAPY  SERVICES  BEING  PROVIDED.    The
 number  of  licensed  physical  therapist  assistants  supervised by one
 licensed physical therapist shall not exceed the ratio of four  licensed
 physical  therapist  assistants  to  one  licensed physical therapist as
 shall be determined by  the  commissioner's  regulations  insuring  that
 there  be adequate supervision in the best interest of public health and
 safety. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a hospital from employing
 physical therapist assistants, provided they work under the  supervision
 of  physical  therapists  designated  by the hospital and not beyond the
 scope of practice of a physical therapist assistant. The numerical limi-
 tation of this section shall not apply to work performed in a  hospital,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09175-01-5

co-Sponsors

2025-S4892A - Details

Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §6738, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S9213

2025-S4892A - Summary

Provides that supervision by a licensed physical therapist of a physical therapist assistant shall be continuous but shall not require the physical presence of the licensed physical therapist at the time and place where services are being performed; requires a licensed physical therapist to be available for consultation with the physical therapist assistant or the patient within a reasonable amount of time.

2025-S4892A - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4892A - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  4892--A
     Cal. No. 458
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  STAVISKY, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher  Education
   -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second
   report,  ordered  to  a  third reading, amended and ordered reprinted,
   retaining its place in the order of third reading
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  physical  therapist
   assistants
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision a of section 6738  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  511  of  the  laws  of 2022, is amended to read as
 follows:
   a. A "physical therapist assistant" means a person licensed in accord-
 ance with this article who works under the DIRECTION AND supervision  of
 a licensed physical therapist performing such patient related activities
 as  are  assigned by the supervising physical therapist. Duties of phys-
 ical therapist  assistants  shall  not  include  evaluation,  [testing,]
 interpretation,   planning  or  modification  of  [patient  programs]  A
 PATIENT'S PLAN OF CARE.   Supervision [of a] BY  THE  LICENSED  physical
 therapist  [assistant  by  a licensed] SHALL BE CONTINUOUS BUT SHALL NOT
 NECESSARILY REQUIRE THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE AT THE TIME  AND  PLACE  WHERE
 SERVICES  ARE  BEING PERFORMED. PROVIDED FURTHER, HOWEVER, SUCH physical
 therapist [shall be on-site  supervision,  but  not  necessarily  direct
 personal  supervision] MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE PHYS-
 ICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT OR PATIENT WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT  OF  TIME
 PURSUANT  TO  THE  COMMISSIONER'S  REGULATIONS.   The number of licensed
 physical therapist assistants supervised by one licensed physical thera-
 pist shall not exceed the ratio  of  four  licensed  physical  therapist
 assistants  to one licensed physical therapist as shall be determined by
 the commissioner's regulations insuring that there  be  adequate  super-
 vision in the best interest of public health and safety. Nothing in this
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

co-Sponsors

2025-S4892B (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §6738, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S9213

2025-S4892B (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that supervision by a licensed physical therapist of a physical therapist assistant shall be continuous but shall not require the physical presence of the licensed physical therapist at the time and place where services are being performed; requires a licensed physical therapist to be available for consultation with the physical therapist assistant or the patient within a reasonable amount of time.

2025-S4892B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4892B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  4892--B
     Cal. No. 458
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  STAVISKY, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher  Education
   -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second
   report,  ordered  to  a  third reading, amended and ordered reprinted,
   retaining its place in the order of third reading -- again amended and
   ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  physical  therapist
   assistants
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision a of section 6738  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  511  of  the  laws  of 2022, is amended to read as
 follows:
   a. A "physical therapist assistant" means a person licensed in accord-
 ance with this article who works under the DIRECTION AND supervision  of
 a licensed physical therapist performing such patient related activities
 as  are  assigned by the supervising physical therapist. Duties of phys-
 ical therapist assistants shall not include evaluation, testing,  inter-
 pretation,  planning  or  modification of [patient programs] A PATIENT'S
 PLAN OF CARE.  Supervision [of a] BY  THE  LICENSED  physical  therapist
 [assistant  by a licensed] SHALL BE CONTINUOUS BUT SHALL NOT NECESSARILY
 REQUIRE THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE AT THE TIME AND PLACE WHERE  SERVICES  ARE
 BEING  PERFORMED.  PROVIDED  FURTHER,  HOWEVER,  SUCH physical therapist
 [shall be on-site  supervision,  but  not  necessarily  direct  personal
 supervision] MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE PHYSICAL THERA-
 PIST ASSISTANT OR PATIENT WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME PURSUANT TO
 THE  COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS.  The number of licensed physical thera-
 pist assistants supervised by one licensed physical therapist shall  not
 exceed  the  ratio of four licensed physical therapist assistants to one
 licensed physical therapist as shall be determined by the commissioner's
 regulations insuring that there be  adequate  supervision  in  the  best
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

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