What's happening
This bill allows occupational and physical therapy assistants to treat workers' compensation injuries under supervision, with required documentation and reporting.
Why it matters
Expanding provider access. By allowing occupational and physical therapy assistants to deliver care for workers’ comp injuries (under supervision), the bill could help address provider shortages and reduce treatment delays for injured workers.
Patient safety and quality control. The requirement for direct supervision and signed documentation ensures that assistants’ work remains closely monitored by licensed therapists, aiming to protect patient safety and maintain standards of care.
Administrative oversight and accountability. Mandating regular, chair-prescribed reporting creates a paper trail for treatments provided by assistants, which could streamline oversight, support transparency, and aid in tracking patient outcomes and compliance.
Potential cost implications. Utilizing assistants (who generally have lower reimbursement rates than licensed therapists) could reduce costs for employers and insurers while maintaining access to necessary rehabilitation services for injured workers.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Therapy Assistant Access
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
9 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Print number 3753b
- Amend and recommit to labor
- Referred to labor
- Print number 3753a
- Amend (t) and recommit to labor
- Referred to labor
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Allow Therapy Assistants Treat Injuries
In Assembly Committee · Labor · Sponsor Timothy M. Kennedy
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3753--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, WEPRIN, COLTON, BENEDETTO, STECK, STIRPE, THIELE, DICKENS, GARBARINO, O'DONNELL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Labor in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to authorizing treatment of workers' compensation injuries by an occupational therapy assistant or physical therapy assistant
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 13-b of the workers' compensation law is amended by adding a new paragraph (b-1) to read as follows:
(b-1) Under the direct supervision of an authorized occupational therapist, occupational therapy services may be rendered by an occupational therapy assistant. Under the direct supervision of an authorized physical therapist, physical therapy services may be rendered by a physical therapist assistant. This supervision shall be evidenced by signed records of instructions for treatment and signed records of the patient's condition and progress. Reports of such treatment and supervision shall be made by such provider to the chair in the format prescribed by the chair at such times as the chair may require.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06525-07-0
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.