SB2153enr 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2153 Enrolled LRB104 09779 AAS 19845 b

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Physical Therapy Act is amended by changing Section 1.3 as follows:

(225 ILCS 90/1.3)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 1.3. Telehealth services.

(a) Physical therapy through telehealth services may be used to address access issues to care, enhance care delivery, or increase the physical therapist's ability to assess and direct the patient's performance in the patient's own environment.

(b) Only a A physical therapist or physical therapist assistant working under the general supervision of a physical therapist may provide physical therapy through telehealth services pursuant to the terms and use defined in the Telehealth Act and the Illinois Insurance Code and subject to the following conditions:

(1) Physical therapists may use telehealth to perform an initial physical therapy evaluation if one of the following criteria is met:

(i) the patient has a referral or diagnosis from a health care professional;

(ii) the patient has an established relationship with the physical therapist; or

(iii) the physical therapist has the capacity to perform or facilitate a referral for an in-person, hands-on examination or re-examination by a physical therapist at any time throughout the course of the patient's care, as needed. Initial physical therapy evaluations without a referral or established diagnosis may only be performed by a licensed physical therapist and cannot be performed via telehealth unless necessary to address a documented hardship, including, but not limited to, geographical, physical, or weather-related conditions.

(2) A physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant may require the patient to undergo an in-person visit instead of providing telehealth services. The use of telehealth as a primary means of delivering physical therapy must be an exception and documentation must support the clinical justification.

(3) A patient receiving physical therapy via telehealth must be able to request and receive in-person care at any point during their treatment.

(4) A physical therapist providing telehealth must have the capacity to provide or be able to facilitate a referral to in-person care within the State of Illinois.

(5) A physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant may engage in the practice of telehealth services in this State to the extent of the physical therapist's or the physical therapist assistant's scope of practice as established in this Act and consistent with the standards of care for in-person services. This Section shall not be construed to authorize the delivery of physical therapy services in a setting or in a manner not otherwise authorized by law.

(6) A physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant working under the general supervision of a physical therapist treating a patient located in this State through telehealth services must be licensed or authorized to practice physical therapy in this State.

(c) The Department may, in consultation with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Early Childhood, exempt physical therapists and physical therapist assistants providing physical therapy services as part of the Illinois Early Intervention Program, an individualized education program, or a federal Section 504 plan through a school system from this Section by rule to address service delays.

(d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to allow noncompliance with any requirements under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Early Intervention Services System Act, the Department of Early Childhood Act, or any other State or federal law or rules.

(Source: P.A. 103-849, eff. 1-1-25.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.