Illinois Legislative Update

Last Friday was the deadline for substantive bills to be reported out of committee. There are ways around deadlines like this one, but weeks like this are often mad rushes of activity as individual lawmakers jockey for slots during committee hearings to ensure that their own bills are heard. Over the course of four days, lawmakers advanced approximately 1,400 bills to the House and Senate floors for consideration. Many of those bills still need amendments before they will be ready for a floor vote.

The PT Sunset/Sunrise bills (SB 2496 / HB 3683) had already been advanced to the House and Senate floors for consideration, however a bill to amend the newly implemented telehealth statutes was among those needing further amendment.  We will continue to work  with the bill sponsor to negotiate agreed language as the session continues.

Other bills of interest:  A bill to amend certain conditions for disability placard issuance and renewal certifications was further amended to include physical therapists, consistent with what already existed in current law, and the hippotherapy bill (SB 69) as amended with agreed language is moving forward.  

We will continue to keep members informed of any changes in bill status as the session progresses.

Illinois Legislative Update

The legislative session for Illinois is well underway and the IPTA is following bills that have the potential to impact physical therapy payment, practice and licensure.

So far, two bills have been heard in committee:

Physical Therapy Telehealth (OPPOSED) (SB 2153 / HB 3402): This bill is proposed at the request of HINGE.  Like many other national telehealth companies, HINGE does not have the capacity to provide in-person care, and they are working to strike down any barriers that could prevent them from doing business in Illinois.  The IPTA does not support the proposed changes as written and we are working with the Senate bill sponsor to reach agreement on language that provides more flexibility in the delivery of care without risking any patient protections that are currently in place.

Riding Therapy (NO POSITION) (SB 69): This bill has been amended to remove language referring to riding therapy lessons and now defines the term "hippotherapy" and requires that insurance companies cover services that are provided by a PT, OT, or SLP that incorporate equine movement as part of a therapeutic intervention.

Other bills that remain of interest to the IPTA include:

Illinois PT Act Sunset (SUPPORT) (SB 2496 / HB 3683): Both bills are currently awaiting to be assigned to committees. These bills makes various administrative changes to the Illinois Physical Therapy Act, including requirements for designated addresses and email addresses of record for licensees, option for either a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number on licensure applications, and fines for returned checks. The Bills also make some minor changes to the Act that are intended to clarify scope of practice, required communications with referring health care providers, and address ambiguities relating to the practice of radiology. Further, it expands the Department’s authority to pursue term protection violations committed by companies who advertise services as PT, DPT, or physical therapy without a licensed physical therapist on staff.

Illinois PT Compact (SUPPORT) (HB 3420): The bill is also waiting to be assigned to committee. The bill advocates for Illinois to join the PT Compact, which makes it easier and more cost-effective for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to expand their practice across state lines by allowing them to practice in multiple member states without needing separate licenses for each state. To learn more about the PT Compact, click here.