Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official source posted by the New York State Senate, fetched 2026-08-11. Nothing is edited or removed. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official source appears here in brackets. The official bill page.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
4892--B
Cal. No. 458
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. STAVISKY, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
-- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second
report, ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted,
retaining its place in the order of third reading -- again amended and
ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to physical therapist
assistants
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision a of section 6738 of the education law, as
amended by chapter 511 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as
follows:
a. A "physical therapist assistant" means a person licensed in accord-
ance with this article who works under the DIRECTION AND supervision of
a licensed physical therapist performing such patient related activities
as are assigned by the supervising physical therapist. Duties of phys-
ical therapist assistants shall not include evaluation, testing, inter-
pretation, planning or modification of [patient programs] A PATIENT'S
PLAN OF CARE. Supervision [of a] BY THE LICENSED physical therapist
[assistant by a licensed] SHALL BE CONTINUOUS BUT SHALL NOT NECESSARILY
REQUIRE THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE AT THE TIME AND PLACE WHERE SERVICES ARE
BEING PERFORMED. PROVIDED FURTHER, HOWEVER, SUCH physical therapist
[shall be on-site supervision, but not necessarily direct personal
supervision] MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE PHYSICAL THERA-
PIST ASSISTANT OR PATIENT WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME PURSUANT TO
THE COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS. The number of licensed physical thera-
pist assistants supervised by one licensed physical therapist shall not
exceed the ratio of four licensed physical therapist assistants to one
licensed physical therapist as shall be determined by the commissioner's
regulations insuring that there be adequate supervision in the best
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09175-03-5
S. 4892--B 2
interest of public health and safety. Nothing in this section shall
prohibit a hospital from employing physical therapist assistants,
provided they work under the supervision of physical therapists desig-
nated by the hospital and not beyond the scope of practice of a physical
therapist assistant. The numerical limitation of this section shall not
apply to work performed in a hospital, provided that there be adequate
supervision in the best interest of public health and safety.
§ 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
law.Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.