Substitute House Bill No. 6532
          Substitute House Bill No. 6532

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-15


AN   ACT   CONCERNING   LICENSURE  PROCEDURES  FOR
PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, OCCUPATIONAL  THERAPISTS  AND
PRACTICAL NURSES.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1.  Section  20-70a  of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed  and   the   following   is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    Any  applicant  for  examination for licensure
as a physical therapist whose application is based
on  a  diploma issued to him by a foreign physical
therapy school shall furnish documentary evidence,
satisfactory    to   the   department   that   the
requirements for  graduation  are  similar  to  or
higher   than   those  required  of  graduates  of
approved United States  schools  of  therapy.  Any
applicant under this section whose application has
been filed and approved by  said  department  may,
between the dates of filing and the publication of
the results of the  next  succeeding  examination,
practice   as   a  physical  therapist  under  the
continuous direction and immediate supervision  of
a  physical therapist licensed to practice in this
state,  in  a  licensed  health   care   facility,
provided  this privilege shall automatically cease
on  failure  of   an   applicant   to   pass   the
examination.  [Applicants under this section shall
continue  to   practice   under   the   continuous
direction  and immediate supervision of a licensed
physical therapist for a period of one year  after
passing such examination before being eligible for
licensure.]
    Sec.   2.   Section   20-74h  of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed  and   the   following   is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    Licenses  issued  under  this chapter shall be
subject to renewal once every two years and  shall
expire  unless renewed in the manner prescribed by
regulation upon  the  payment  of  two  times  the
professional  services  fee  payable  to the State
Treasurer  for  class  B  as  defined  in  section
33-182l. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOTIFY ANY PERSON OR
ENTITY THAT FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF
THIS  SECTION  THAT  HIS LICENSE SHALL BECOME VOID
NINETY DAYS AFTER THE TIME FOR ITS RENEWAL  UNLESS
IT  IS  SO  RENEWED. ANY SUCH LICENSE SHALL BECOME
VOID  UPON  THE  EXPIRATION  OF  SUCH   NINETY-DAY
PERIOD.    The    commissioner   shall   establish
additional  requirements  for  licensure   renewal
which  provide  evidence  of continued competency.
[The commissioner may provide for the late renewal
of  a  license  upon the payment of a fifty-dollar
late fee, in accordance  with  the  provisions  of
this  chapter,  but  no  such  late  renewal  of a
license may be granted more than five years  after
its  expiration.] The holder of an expired license
may apply for and obtain a valid license only upon
compliance  with  all  relevant  requirements  for
issuance of a new license. A suspended license  is
subject  to  expiration  and  may  be  renewed  as
provided in this section, but such  renewal  shall
not   entitle  the  licensee,  while  the  license
remains suspended and until it is  reinstated,  to
engage  in  the licensed activity, or in any other
conduct or activity in violation of the  order  or
judgment  by which the license was suspended. If a
license  revoked  on   disciplinary   grounds   is
reinstated,   the  licensee,  as  a  condition  of
reinstatement, shall pay the renewal fee. [and any
late fee that may be applicable.]
    Sec.  3.  Subsection  (a)  of section 20-97 of
the general statutes is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)   Any   person  certified  as  a  licensed
practical  nurse,  or  as  a  person  entitled  to
perform   similar   services   under  a  different
designation, in another state  whose  requirements
for    certification    in   such   capacity   are
substantially similar to or higher than  those  of
this  state,  [and  who  is a currently practicing
competent  practitioner]  shall  be  eligible  for
licensure  in this state and entitled to a license
without examination  upon  payment  of  a  fee  of
seventy-five  dollars.  No license shall be issued
under this section to any applicant  against  whom
professional disciplinary action is pending or who
is the subject of  an  unresolved  complaint.  The
department  shall inform the board annually of the
number of applications it  receives  for  licenses
under this section.

Approved May 6, 1997