State Legislation

Current Rhode Island Legislative Activity

APTA RI Public Policy Committee
Current RI Public Policy Activities

Find your state legislator and senator: https://vote.sos.ri.gov/

Chair of the committee: Greg Doucette
If you would like to participate in APTARI Legislative Committe work, please reach out to Greg. We are always looking for participation from our membership in our advocacy work.

2024 Session

June 27, 2024

APTA RI has introduced and officially passed legislation to join the national physical therapy compact. We would like to thank Governor Dan Mckee, Representative Michelle McGaw, and Senator Hanna Gallo for their leadership and support in advocating for Rhode Island Physical Therapists and our patients. We also need to thank our lobbyist firm, The Mayforth Group, for their consistent guidance and advocacy on behalf of APTA Rhode Island and all of the Physical Therapists in this state.

Greg Doucette, the Legislative Committee Chair, would also like to thank the members of his team: Mary Helene Chaplin, Jennifer Hurrell, Dave Pavao, and Erin Sayles for their time and contributions to this successful legislative session.

Press release from the State House Here:

https://www.rilegislature.gov/pressrelease/_layouts/RIL.PressRelease.ListStructure/Forms/DisplayForm.aspx?List=c8baae31%2D3c10%2D431c%2D8dcd%2D9dbbe21ce3e9&ID=373470&Web=2bab1515%2D0dcc%2D4176
%2Da2f8%2D8d4beebdf488

For more information on the PT Compact, visit: www.ptcompact.org

As of May 10, 2024

Copay parity with Primary Care physicians – SB2403 / HB 7151

Testimony has occurred in both legislative bodies. The bill has been held for further review and we will continue to advocate with legislators individually.

Joining the National Physical Therapy Compact – SB 2876 / HB7213:

Testimony has occurred in both legislative bodies. This bill has passed through the house and is still held in the Senate awaiting a floor vote.

Alteration of the GPT license to match geographical neighbors and protect our student/recent grad PTs. – SB 2718 / HB 7256

Testimony has occurred in both legislative bodies. The bill has been held for further review and we will continue to advocate with legislators individually.

We have a meeting with the Senate President on 5/14 to advocate for our bills with leadership.

Any APTA RI members who can contact their individual legislators (in the district where you live is more valuable than the district where you are employed) should do so this week. The more calls legislators receive, the more support our legislation will receive when voting processes are undertaken.

Please reach out to me at Greg Doucette for any extra information you may need for contacting your local legislator!

January 30^th, 2024

Erin Sayles, PT DPT, of the APTA RI Board and Greg Doucette, PT, MPT, Chair of the APTA RI Legislative Action Committee, testified in the Rhode Island House Committee on Corporations regarding HB 7213 and HB 7265 (details of the bills are below). We would like to thank Representative Michelle McGaw and Representative Brandon Potter for their leadership in sponsoring these pieces of legislation and their support of Physical Therapists throughout Rhode Island.

House Bill No. 7213
BY McGaw, Potter, Cortvriend, Boylan, Handy, Ajello, Cotter, Speakman, Kazarian, Kislak ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS — RHODE ISLAND PHYSICAL THERAPIST LICENSURE COMPACT ACT {LC3592/1} (Allows the state to become a member of the physical therapist licensure compact adopted by twenty-five (25) states in order to facilitate the interstate practice of physical therapy with the goal of improving public access to physical therapy services.)
01/18/2024 Introduced, referred to House Corporations
01/26/2024 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

House Bill No. 7265
BY Potter, McGaw, Cruz, McNamara
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS — PHYSICAL THERAPISTS {LC4474/1} (Amends the licensing statute to allow a graduate of a board approved physical therapy school to be reinstated upon a failed examination upon the filing and registering for a second examination.)
01/24/2024 Introduced, referred to House Corporations
01/26/2024 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Video of the testimony can be found at this link:

https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv/show/178?site=1

Testimony runs from 25:39 to 34:00

Thank you also to our Lobbyists at the Mayforth Group for their continued legislative guidance.