Sec. 20-74. Construction. Administration by commissioner. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 20-74. Construction. Administration by commissioner. (a) No provision of this chapter shall confer any authority to practice medicine or surgery, nor shall this chapter prohibit the incidental care of the sick by domestic servants or by persons principally employed as housekeepers or as athletic trainers, nor prohibit any person from the domestic administration of family remedies or the furnishing of assistance in the case of emergency. It shall not prohibit persons registered under the provisions of chapter 372, 373, 375 or 378 from administering care to patients, nor shall it prohibit the care of the sick with or without compensation or personal profit in connection with the practice of the religious tenets of any church by adherents thereof, provided such persons shall not otherwise engage in the practice of physical therapy or assist in the practice of physical therapy within the meaning of this chapter. It shall not prohibit students who are enrolled in schools or courses of physical therapy or physical therapist assistant programs approved by the Board of Examiners for Physical Therapists with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health from performing such work as is incidental to their respective courses of study; nor shall it prohibit any physical therapist from another state from doing such therapist's work or other physical therapy activities as is incidental to the person's course of study when taking or giving a postgraduate course or other courses of study in this state approved by said board. Any physical therapist who is a graduate from a school approved by the board with the consent of the Department of Public Health but not licensed in this state may, with the approval of the department and upon obtaining a temporary certificate from the department, practice physical therapy in this state on a temporary basis for a period of six months, which period may be extended upon request at the discretion of the department, provided (1) such physical therapist does not claim to be licensed to practice in this state, and (2) application for licensure by examination, reciprocity or endorsement is filed with the department within six months after starting such practice. Persons in the service of the federal government are excluded from the provisions of this chapter.

      (b) The Commissioner of Public Health shall administer the provisions of this chapter with respect to the licensing of physical therapist assistants within available appropriations.

      (1949 Rev., S. 4408; 1953, S. 2212d; 1959, P.A. 575, S. 6; P.A. 73-579, S. 5; P.A. 80-336, S. 5; P.A. 81-473, S. 21, 43; P.A. 88-362, S. 10; P.A. 89-307, S. 3; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-174, S. 2, 3; P.A. 99-102, S. 26; P.A. 00-226, S. 17, 20.)

      History: 1959 act added provisions re athletic trainers and the use of physical therapy under a physician's supervision, added requirement for temporary certificate, extending period from three to six months, added Subdivs. (b) and (c) and changed technical language; P.A. 73-579 removed provision that chapter does not prohibit graduates from practicing "pending the results of the first examination for certification schedule by the board following their graduation" and deleted Subdiv. (c) re temporary certificates for graduates of approved foreign schools; P.A. 80-336 stated that chapter does not prohibit therapist from another state from performing "other physical therapy activities" and from practicing etc., when "giving" as well as taking postgraduate "or other courses" thus broadening scope of provision; P.A. 81-473 amended section to require consent of commissioner to board approval of schools or courses, to eliminate requirement of supervision by physician, to refer to licensure instead of registration, to provide for application to department instead of board and to provide for issuance of temporary certificates by department instead of board commencing July 1, 1981; P.A. 88-362 added the exception for students enrolled in physical therapist assistant programs licensed by the Connecticut board of governors for higher education; P.A. 89-307 added the language on physical therapist assistants and the definition of supervision; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-174 deleted reference to physical therapist assistant programs licensed by Board of Governors of Higher Education, effective May 31, 1996; P.A. 99-102 deleted obsolete reference to Ch. 371 and made technical changes; P.A. 00-226 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), added "or assist in the practice of physical therapy", deleted provisions re assistance in practice by physical therapist assistant and definition of supervision, made technical changes and added new Subsec. (b) re administration by the commissioner, effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006.