Sec. 20-74. Construction. Administration by commissioner.
Sec. 20-74. Construction. Administration by commissioner. (a) No provision
of this chapter shall confer any authority to practice medicine or surgery, nor shall
this chapter prohibit the incidental care of the sick by domestic servants or by persons
principally employed as housekeepers or as athletic trainers, nor prohibit any person
from the domestic administration of family remedies or the furnishing of assistance in
the case of emergency. It shall not prohibit persons registered under the provisions of
chapter 372, 373, 375 or 378 from administering care to patients, nor shall it prohibit
the care of the sick with or without compensation or personal profit in connection with
the practice of the religious tenets of any church by adherents thereof, provided such
persons shall not otherwise engage in the practice of physical therapy or assist in the
practice of physical therapy within the meaning of this chapter. It shall not prohibit
students who are enrolled in schools or courses of physical therapy or physical therapist
assistant programs approved by the Board of Examiners for Physical Therapists with
the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health from performing such work as is
incidental to their respective courses of study; nor shall it prohibit any physical therapist
from another state from doing such therapist's work or other physical therapy activities
as is incidental to the person's course of study when taking or giving a postgraduate
course or other courses of study in this state approved by said board. Any physical
therapist who is a graduate from a school approved by the board with the consent of the
Department of Public Health but not licensed in this state may, with the approval of the
department and upon obtaining a temporary certificate from the department, practice
physical therapy in this state on a temporary basis for a period of six months, which
period may be extended upon request at the discretion of the department, provided (1)
such physical therapist does not claim to be licensed to practice in this state, and (2)
application for licensure by examination, reciprocity or endorsement is filed with the
department within six months after starting such practice. Persons in the service of the
federal government are excluded from the provisions of this chapter.
(b) The Commissioner of Public Health shall administer the provisions of this chapter with respect to the licensing of physical therapist assistants within available appropriations.
(1949 Rev., S. 4408; 1953, S. 2212d; 1959, P.A. 575, S. 6; P.A. 73-579, S. 5; P.A. 80-336, S. 5; P.A. 81-473, S. 21,
43; P.A. 88-362, S. 10; P.A. 89-307, S. 3; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-174, S. 2, 3; P.A. 99-102, S. 26; P.A. 00-226, S. 17, 20.)
History: 1959 act added provisions re athletic trainers and the use of physical therapy under a physician's supervision,
added requirement for temporary certificate, extending period from three to six months, added Subdivs. (b) and (c) and
changed technical language; P.A. 73-579 removed provision that chapter does not prohibit graduates from practicing
"pending the results of the first examination for certification schedule by the board following their graduation" and deleted
Subdiv. (c) re temporary certificates for graduates of approved foreign schools; P.A. 80-336 stated that chapter does not
prohibit therapist from another state from performing "other physical therapy activities" and from practicing etc., when
"giving" as well as taking postgraduate "or other courses" thus broadening scope of provision; P.A. 81-473 amended
section to require consent of commissioner to board approval of schools or courses, to eliminate requirement of supervision
by physician, to refer to licensure instead of registration, to provide for application to department instead of board and to
provide for issuance of temporary certificates by department instead of board commencing July 1, 1981; P.A. 88-362 added
the exception for students enrolled in physical therapist assistant programs licensed by the Connecticut board of governors
for higher education; P.A. 89-307 added the language on physical therapist assistants and the definition of supervision;
P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective
July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-174 deleted reference to physical therapist assistant
programs licensed by Board of Governors of Higher Education, effective May 31, 1996; P.A. 99-102 deleted obsolete
reference to Ch. 371 and made technical changes; P.A. 00-226 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), added "or
assist in the practice of physical therapy", deleted provisions re assistance in practice by physical therapist assistant and
definition of supervision, made technical changes and added new Subsec. (b) re administration by the commissioner,
effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut
Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the
commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006.