A. There is hereby established a Physical Therapy Committee to assist the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision in conducting examinations for applicants and to advise the Board on all matters pertaining to the licensure, education, and continuing education of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and the practice of physical therapy.

B. 1. The Physical Therapy Committee shall consist of five (5) members who shall be appointed by the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision as follows:

a.three members shall be licensed physical therapists,

b.one member shall be a licensed physical therapist assistant, and

c.one member shall be a lay person.

2. Except for the lay appointee, each appointee shall be selected from a list of three persons submitted for each vacancy by the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

a.Members serving on the Committee on the effective date of this act may continue serving until expiration of their terms of office and may be reappointed if eligible pursuant to the provisions of this act. Members of the original Physical Therapy Committee shall have been appointed for staggered terms of one (1), two (2), and three (3) years, respectively. Terms of office of each appointed member shall expire July 1 of that year in which they expire regardless of the calendar date when such appointments were made. Subsequent appointments shall be made for a term of three (3) years or until their successors are appointed and qualified.

b.The lay member and physical therapist assistant member initially appointed to fill the two new positions created pursuant to this act shall be appointed for staggered terms of office which will expire July 1, 1998, and July 1, 1999. Thereafter, members appointed to these positions shall serve for terms of three (3) years or until their successors are appointed and qualified.

c.Vacancies shall be filled by the Board in the same manner as the original appointment.

3. Each member of the Committee shall be a resident of this state. The physical therapist and physical therapist assistant members shall be licensed pursuant to the Physical Therapy Practice Act for at least three (3) years prior to appointment to the Committee. The lay member shall not be a physical therapist or a licensed health care professional or be related by adoption, blood, or marriage within the third degree of consanguinity to a physical therapist or a licensed health care professional.

4. Members of the Committee shall be reimbursed for all actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of duties required by the Physical Therapy Practice Act in accordance with the provisions of the State Travel Reimbursement Act.

C. The Committee shall have the power and duty to:

1. Assist in selecting and conducting examinations for licensure, and in determining which applicants successfully passed such examination;

2. Advise the Board on all matters pertaining to the licensure, education, and continuing education requirements for, and practice of physical therapy in this state;

3. Maintain a current list of approved schools of physical therapy and physical therapist assistants; and

4. Assist and advise in all hearings involving physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who are deemed to be in violation of the Physical Therapy Practice Act.

Added by Laws 1965, c. 153, § 4, emerg. eff. May 26, 1965. Amended by Laws 1969, c. 345, § 3; Laws 1985, c. 178, § 37, operative July 1, 1985; Laws 1987, c. 13, § 3, eff. July 1, 1987; Laws 1987, c. 118, § 45, operative July 1, 1987; Laws 1997, c. 126, § 1.