Brief Description: The State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board proposes to update various regulations regarding licensure requirements, preceptor, reexamination, renewal, continuing education requirements, telerehabilitation practice, and to adopt by reference the updated checklists used for review of applications.
The State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board (Board) proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 12, Chapter 54 of the Alaska Administrative Code including the following:
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12 AAC 54.030. Requirements for physical therapy license by examination, is proposed to be changed to amend the requirements for a physical therapist or a physical therapy assistant license by examination.
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12 AAC 54.040. Foreign-trained physical therapy applicants, is proposed to add standardized tool for preceptors.
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12 AAC 54.080. Passing scores, is proposed to amend the approved examination body and provide opportunity for additional course work options accredited by a national accreditation agency.
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12 AAC 54.420. Approved physical therapy courses and activities, is proposed to repeal the continuing education course or activity board approval request.
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12 AAC 54.530. Standards for practice of telerehabilitation by physical therapist, is proposed to be changed to repeal the requirements that a licensed physical therapist must be physically present in Alaska while performing telerehabilitation services to patients who are located at distant sites by means of an interactive telecommunication system.
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12 AAC 54.620. Supervised field work, is proposed to remove obsolete language to align with national standards.
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12 AAC 54.710. Occupational therapy continuing education requirements, is proposed to be changed to amend the continuing education requirements for renewal of an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant.
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12 AAC 54.715. Approved occupational therapy courses and activities, is proposed to repeal the continuing education course or activity board approval request.
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12 AAC 54.825. Standards for practice of telerehabilitation by occupational therapy, is proposed to be changed to repeal the requirements that a licensed occupational therapist must be physically present in Alaska while performing telerehabilitation services to patients who are located at distant sites by means of an interactive telecommunication system.
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12 AAC 54.915. Review of applications for temporary permit or limited permit, is proposed to be changed to update the checklists used for review of applications.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Jun Maiquis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806. Additionally, the Board will accept comments by facsimile at (907) 465-2974 and by electronic mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system at http://notice.alaska.gov/193746, and using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on May 10, 2019. Comments received after this deadline will not be considered by the Board.
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Jun Maiquis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806 or by e-mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Board will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the Board’s website at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/PhysicalTherapyOccupationalTherapy.aspx. The Board may, but is not required to, answer written questions received after the 10-day cut-off date and before the end of the comment period.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Jun Maiquis at (907) 465-2537 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov not later than May 3, 2019 to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Jun Maiquis at (907) 465-2537 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or go to https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/PHY-0319.pdf.
A copy of the material proposed for adoption by reference may be viewed at the Board’s office at the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, State Office Building, 333 Willoughby Avenue, 9th Floor, Juneau, AK.
After the public comment period ends, the Board will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected. Written comments and questions received are public records and are subject to public inspection.
Statutory Authority: AS 08.84.010; AS 08.84.030; AS 08.84.032; AS 08.84.040; AS 08.84.060; AS 08.84.065; AS 08.84.075; AS 08.84.080; AS 08.84.100
Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 08.84.010; AS 08.84.030; AS 08.84.032; AS 08.84.040; AS 08.84.060; AS 08.84.065; AS 08.84.075; AS 08.84.080; AS 08.84.100
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
DATE: 4/9/2019
Jun Maiquis, Regulations Specialist Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
For each occupation regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals or organizations who are interested in the regulations of that occupation. The Division automatically sends a Notice of Proposed Regulations to the parties on the appropriate list each time there is a proposed change in an occupation's regulations in Title 12 of the Alaska Administrative Code. If you would like your address added to or removed from such a list, send your request to the Division at the address above, giving your name, either your e-mail address or mailing address (as you prefer for receiving notices), and the occupational area in which you are interested.
ADDITIONAL REGULATION NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting agency: State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board – Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
2. General subject of regulation: Licensure requirements, preceptor, reexamination, renewal, continuing education requirements, telerehabilitation practice, and checklists.
3. Citation of regulation: 12 AAC 54.030 – 12 AAC 54.915.
4. Department of Law file number: To be assigned.
5. Reason for the proposed action: Update and clarification of current regulations; compliance with current statute.
6. Appropriation/Allocation: Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – #2360.
7. Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
A private person: None known.
Another state agency: None known.
A municipality: None known.
8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars): No costs are expected in FY 2019 or in subsequent years.
9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:
Connie Petz, Licensing Examiner
State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Telephone: (907) 465-2580
E-mail: connie.petz@alaska.gov
10. The origin of the proposed action: State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board.
11. Date: 4/9/19
Prepared by: Jun Maiquis
Regulations Specialist
(907) 465-2537