Frankfort, Kentucky (March 26, 2026) – Legislation that would bring statutes governing the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy in line with the current delivery of care passed the Senate unanimously yesterday. House Bill 48, sponsored by Representative Amy Neighbors of Edmonton, would modernize and streamline statutes governing Kentucky’s Board of Physical Therapy to improve clarity, readability, and understanding for both the public and licensed professionals.
“While the delivery of health care has continued to evolve, much of the current law governing Kentucky’s Board of Physical Therapy was written in 1958 and has remained largely unchanged,” said Neighbors. “House Bill 48 is about modernizing outdated statutes to reflect current physical therapy practices and standards, ensuring patients continue to be served safely and effectively.”
According to Neighbors, for more than 15 years, the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy has worked collaboratively with the American Physical Therapy Association of Kentucky to modernize the Physical Therapy Practice Act.
House Bill 48 would streamline language in statute to ensure that physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and patients understand it. Additionally, the legislation would define physical therapist assistant and change their designation from certified to licensed to allow for insurance reimbursement. It would also adopt a process for licensees to ask for expungement of minor violations unrelated to the practice of physical therapy or patient harm. The Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy would also be given the statutory authority to purchase professional liability insurance and promulgate regulations to establish fees. It would also update statute concerning investigations of a violation, the handling of sexual misconduct allegations, and oversight of physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have been educated outside of the United States.
“This legislation would not expand scope of practice,” Neighbors added. “Final passage of House Bill 48 demonstrates the General Assembly’s commitment to bringing these statutes into the modern era and ensuring our state’s regulatory framework is clear, consistent, and understandable.”
Upon enrollment, HB 48 will be delivered to the Governor for consideration. For more information on HB 48 and to keep track of its progress, please click here or visit legislature.ky.gov.
(Emily O’Connor, Communications Specialist – Office of the Speaker Kentucky House of Representatives)