Health occupations: physical therapists; licensing process; modify to incorporate physical therapy licensing compact, the official text

Act No. 40

Public Acts of 2026

Approved by the Governor

July 21, 2026

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 22, 2026

EFFECTIVE
DATE: January 22, 2028

state of michigan

103rd Legislature

Regular session of 2026

Introduced by Senator Santana

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 501

AN ACT to amend 1978 PA 368,
entitled “An act to protect and promote the public health; to codify, revise,
consolidate, classify, and add to the laws relating to public health; to
provide for the prevention and control of diseases and disabilities; to provide
for the classification, administration, regulation, financing, and maintenance
of personal, environmental, and other health services and activities; to create
or continue, and prescribe the powers and duties of, departments, boards,
commissions, councils, committees, task forces, and other agencies; to
prescribe the powers and duties of governmental entities and officials; to
regulate occupations, facilities, and agencies affecting the public health; to
regulate health maintenance organizations and certain third party
administrators and insurers; to provide for the imposition of a regulatory fee;
to provide for the levy of taxes against certain health facilities or agencies;
to promote the efficient and economical delivery of health care services, to
provide for the appropriate utilization of health care facilities and services,
and to provide for the closure of hospitals or consolidation of hospitals or
services; to provide for the collection and use of data and information; to
provide for the transfer of property; to provide certain immunity from
liability; to regulate and prohibit the sale and offering for sale of drug
paraphernalia under certain circumstances; to provide for the implementation of
federal law; to provide for penalties and remedies; to provide for sanctions
for violations of this act and local ordinances; to provide for an
appropriation and supplements; to repeal certain acts and parts of acts; to
repeal certain parts of this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on
specific dates,” by amending sections 16335, 17801, and 17821 (MCL
333.16335, 333.17801, and 333.17821), as amended by 2009 PA 55, and by adding
sections 17820a and 17820b.

The People of the State of
Michigan enact:

Sec. 16335. (1) Fees for an individual
licensed or seeking licensure to engage in the practice of physical therapy or
practice as a physical therapist assistant under part 178 are as follows:

(a) Application processing
fee

$

20.00

(b) Examination fees:

Jurisprudence examination
only

25.00

(c) License fee, per year

90.00

(d) Limited license, per
year

25.00

(2) The fee for an individual seeking to
hold a compact privilege under the physical therapy licensure compact enacted
in section 16187a is $90.00 per year.

Sec.
17801. (1) As used in this part:

(a) “Physical therapist” means an individual who is licensed
under this article or authorized under section 17820a
to engage in the practice of physical therapy.

(b) “Physical therapist assistant” means an individual with a
health profession subfield license under this part, or who is authorized under section 17820b to engage in
practice as a physical therapist assistant, who
assists a physical therapist in physical therapy intervention.

(c)
“Physical therapy licensure compact” means the physical therapy licensure
compact enacted in section 16187a.

(d) “Practice as physical therapist assistant” means the
practice of physical therapy performed under the supervision of a physical
therapist licensed under this part.

(e) “Practice of physical therapy” means the evaluation of,
education of, consultation with, or treatment of an individual by the
employment of effective properties of physical measures and the use of
therapeutic exercises and rehabilitative procedures, with or without assistive
devices, for the purpose of preventing, correcting, or alleviating a physical
or mental disability. Physical therapy includes treatment planning, performance
of tests and measurements, interpretation of referrals, initiation of referrals,
instruction, consultative services, and supervision of personnel. Physical
measures include massage, mobilization, heat, cold, air, light, water,
electricity, and sound. Practice of physical therapy does not include the
identification of underlying medical problems or etiologies, establishment of
medical diagnoses, or the prescribing of treatment.

(2) In addition to the definitions in this part, article 1
contains general definitions and principles of construction applicable to all
articles in this code and part 161 contains definitions applicable to this
part.

Sec. 17820a. (1) An individual who
holds a compact privilege to practice as a physical therapist under the
physical therapy licensure compact is authorized to engage in the practice of
physical therapy under this article.

(2)
For purposes of this article, including the obligations of an individual who is
licensed as a physical therapist, an individual who holds a compact privilege
to practice as a physical therapist under the physical therapy licensure
compact is considered a physical therapist who is licensed under this part.

Sec. 17820b. (1) An individual who
holds a compact privilege to work as a physical therapist assistant under the
physical therapy licensure compact is authorized to engage in practice as a
physical therapist assistant under this article under the supervision of a physical
therapist.

(2)
For purposes of this article, including the obligations of an individual who is
licensed as a physical therapist assistant, an individual who holds a compact
privilege to work as a physical therapist assistant under the physical therapy
licensure compact is considered a physical therapist assistant who is licensed
under this part.

Sec.
17821. (1) The Michigan board of physical therapy is created in the department
and shall consist of the following 11 voting members who must meet the
requirements of part 161: 6 physical therapists, 1 physical therapist
assistant, and 4 public members.

(2) The terms of office of the individual members of the
board created under this section, except those appointed to fill vacancies,
expire 4 years after appointment on December 31 of the year in which the term
expires.

(3)
The board shall select the director to act as this state’s delegate for
purposes of the physical therapy licensure compact.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes
effect 18 months after the date it is enacted into law.

Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not
take effect unless House Bill No. 4101 of the 103rd Legislature is
enacted into law.

This act is ordered to take
immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of
Representatives

Approved___________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Governor