093_SB0254eng
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1 AN ACT in relation to the regulation of professions.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Physical Therapy Act is amended
5 by changing Sections 8 and 8.1 as follows:
6 (225 ILCS 90/8) (from Ch. 111, par. 4258)
7 (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2006)
8 Sec. 8. Qualifications for licensure as a Physical
9 Therapist.
10 (a) A person is qualified to receive a license as a
11 physical therapist if that person has applied in writing, on
12 forms prescribed by the Department, has paid the required
13 fees, and meets all of the following requirements:
14 (1) He or she is at least 18 years of age and of
15 good moral character. In determining moral character, the
16 Department may take into consideration any felony
17 conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction shall
18 not operate automatically as a complete bar to a license.
19 (2) A person applying for licensure after the
20 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
21 Assembly must have a post-baccalaureate degree from a
22 college or university physical therapy education program
23 approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical
24 Therapy Education. A person who graduated from a
25 physical therapy program outside the United States or its
26 territories must submit evidence that his or her
27 educational background is substantially equivalent to a
28 post-baccalaureate degree from a Commission on
29 Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education approved
30 physical therapy educational program and conferred by a
31 regionally accredited college or university in the United
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1 States.He or she has graduated from a curriculum in
2 physical therapy approved by the Department. In
3 approving a curriculum in physical therapy, the
4 Department shall consider, but not be bound by,
5 accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in
6 Physical Therapy Education. A person who graduated from
7 a physical therapy program outside the United States or
8 its territories shall have his or her degree validated as
9 equivalent to a physical therapy degree conferred by a
10 regionally accredited college or university in the United
11 States. The Department may establish by rule a method
12 for the completion of course deficiencies.
13 (3) He or she has passed an examination approved by
14 the Department to determine his fitness for practice as a
15 physical therapist, or is entitled to be licensed without
16 examination as provided in Sections 10 and 11 of this
17 Act. A person who graduated from a physical therapy
18 program outside the United States or its territories and
19 whose first language is not English shall submit
20 certification of passage of the Test of English as a
21 Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Spoken English
22 (TSE) as defined by rule prior to taking the licensure
23 examination.
24 (b) The Department reserves the right and may request a
25 personal interview of an applicant before the Committee to
26 further evaluate his or her qualifications for a license.
27 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
28 (225 ILCS 90/8.1) (from Ch. 111, par. 4258.1)
29 (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2006)
30 Sec. 8.1. Qualifications for licensure as a physical
31 therapist assistant. A person is qualified to receive a
32 license as a physical therapist assistant if that person has
33 applied in writing, on forms prescribed by the Department,
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1 has paid the required fees and:
2 (1) Is at least 18 years of age and of good moral
3 character. In determining moral character, the
4 Department may take into consideration any felony
5 conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction shall
6 not operate automatically as a complete bar to a license;
7 (2) Has graduated from a 2 year college-level
8 physical therapisttherapy assistant program accredited
9 by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy
10 Education. A person who graduated from a physical
11 therapy assistant program outside the United States or
12 its territories must submit evidence that his or her
13 educational background is substantially equivalent to a
14 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
15 program and conferred by a regionally accredited college
16 or university in the United States.approved by the
17 Department. In approving such a physical therapist
18 assistant program the Department shall consider but not
19 be bound by accreditation by the Commission on
20 Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Any person
21 who graduated from a physical therapy assistant program
22 outside the United States or its territories shall have
23 his or her degree validated as equivalent to a physical
24 therapy assistant degree conferred by a regionally
25 accredited college or university in the United States.
26 The Department may establish by rule a method for the
27 completion of course deficiencies; and
28 (3) Has successfully completed the examination
29 authorized by the Department. A person who graduated
30 from a physical therapy assistant program outside the
31 United States or its territories and whose first language
32 is not English shall submit certification of passage of
33 the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the
34 Test of Spoken English (TSE) as defined by rule prior to
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1 taking the licensure examination.
2 (Source: P.A. 89-387, eff. 1-1-96.)