Bills of interest to APTA of MA in the 2011-2012 legislative cycle.   

If you are interested in legislative issues, please be sure to visit our Political Action Committee (PAC) page.  The APTA of MA PAC works to ensure that PTs and PTAs have a strong voice in the legislature.  Your support is critical to their success.

An act regarding massage therapist licensure.   Two bills have been filed.  One seeks to add “prescription of stretching techniques, and exercises"; and second bill seeks to add "kinesiotaping" to current scope of practice.  We are opposed to both and will testify against them  Hearing is scheduled for: 6-21-11 with Consumer Protection Committee Rm A-1 at 1:00PM   http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S00090

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H02688

 Personal Trainer licensure bill

An act to encourage well qualified practitioners in the field of personal training-  

We are opposed because there is no evidence that there has been any harm to the public from lack of licensure, so our view is that licensure is not needed.  Also there is a lack of standardized education or defined skill set, scope of practice, competency assessment, etc.   We will testify in opposition.   

Consumer protection committee-hearing 6/21/11-Room A-1 at 1:00 PM

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H01005  

 Naturopathy licensure

 An act establishing a board of registration in naturopathy-Public Health committee-hearing 7/19/11-Room A-1 at 10:00 AM

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S01158     

We will take no active position at this time.  

 Exercise physiology licensure

 An act relative to registration of clinical exercise physiologists-Consumer protection committee hearing -6/21/11-Room A-1 at 1:00 PM . We are opposed to the bill’s overly broad scope of practice outline in this bill and plan to testify in opposition.

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H01882  

This 2nd bill seeks to place them on the BAHP, we are also opposed to this, and will testify at the hearing in October.   Public Health Committee-hearing on 10/18/11-Room A-1 at 10:00 AM 

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S01072----   

 Health care reform bills include Gov. Patrick's bill, but House and Senate will likely also have bills.  Accountable Care organizations will be a big part of all of them.  Hearings to be held on 5-3  and 5-16, and we will testify at the hearing on the 16^th.   

**An Act relative to payment reform—filed by the Governor---Health Care Financing committee

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H01849      

An act to make Habilitative Services Available to the Children of the Commonwealth-Public Services Committee   http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S01373

We supported this bill when filed in the last session, along with MAOT.  We are in support, no hearing scheduled yet, may be dependent on how other health care payment reform bills do. 

An act relative to concussion prevention   -   Public Health committee-hearing 6/21/11 in room A-1 at 10:00 AM   This bill sets the effective date for the law (that was passed in the last session).  The effective date will be after DPH writes the regulations.  We gave testimony to suggest adding Physical therapists as one of the providers able to clear students returning to play after a head iinjury.   http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S01135 

An act relative to prevention of falls in the elderly community-Elder Affairs Committee

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H00180  This bill seeks to add a PT and OT to the commission .  This is a change we asked for so we need to support this, and testify once hearing is scheduled.  

An act relative to the creation of a sports injury commission-Public Health committee hearing on 6/21/11 in Room A-1 at 10:00 AM   the commission would study the sports injuries in school athletics and give recommendations about legislation to reduce risk or incidence.  We would like to have a PT should be part of the commission.  The current bill suggests the commission should include:  legislators, members of DPH, and Department of Education,  Representatives from several physician associations (Eye, ER, Pediatrics, Family practice, cardiology) Mass Nurses Association, Interscholastic athletic assoc, MA head injury foundation, MA coaches association and 2 high school students. 

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S01086 

An act relative to the spinal cord injury trust fund-Health Care Financing Committee.  No hearing set yet, but would increase amount given to spinal cord injury trust fund from vehicle fines.  APTA of MA would be in favor.   http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S00544  

 An Act relative to sonographers and vascular technologies—  the bill would require anyone performing the technical component of diagnostic ultrasound to have additional, specific credentialing.   The Committee on Public Health held a hearing 4/12/11 in Room A-1 at 10:00 AM.  APTA of MA gave written testimony asking that PT be excluded from provisions of this bill.  The testimony was delivered by our lobbyist to the committee chair.   Lobbyist will follow progress through committee.    http:///www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H01486