Changes the definition of continuous supervision in relation to physical therapist assistants in both the home care setting and school setting by eliminating the joint visit requirement with the patient by the supervising licensed physical therapist and the licensed physical therapist assistant.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A11220
SPONSOR: Hyndman TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to physical therapist
assistants
PURPOSE:
To clarify and update the supervision requirements for the licensed
physical therapist assistants in home care and school-based settings.
The bill removes the requirement that the supervising physical therapist
be physically present when services are delivered and updates the defi-
nition of continuous supervision to reflect current practice while main-
taining oversight and patient safety.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends subdivision C of section 6738 of the
Education Law to clarify that continuous supervision of a licensed phys-
ical therapist assistant in a home care setting does not require the
supervising physical therapist's physical presence. The bill defines
continuous supervision to include establishing goals and a plan of care,
determining patient appropriateness for services, periodic treatment and
evaluation, and a final evaluation before termination of care. It also
removes the initial joint visit requirement and maintains the current
supervision ratio of two physical therapist assistants to one licensed
physical therapist.
Section two of the bill amends subdivision D of section 6738 of ,the
Education Law for physical therapist assistant services in schools and
preschool programs. It clarifies that physical presence is not required,
updates the supervision standard to include treatment planning and peri-
odic evaluation, and removes the initial joint, visit requirement. The
bill also preserves the requirement for ongoing oversight and notifica-
tion when there is a change in the patient's condition or status.
Section three relates to the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Current law requires the supervising physical therapists to be phys-
ically present in certain settings, which does not reflect how care is
delivered today and can create unnecessary barriers to access, partic-
ularly in home care and school-based settings. This bill updates super-
vision requirements for licensed physical therapist assistants (PTAs) to
better align with modern practice while maintaining appropriate over-
sight and patient safety.
By clarifying that "continuous supervision" does not require physical
presence, and instead includes care planning, periodic evaluation, and
final assessment by the supervising physical therapist, the bill ensures
that patients continue to receive high- quality care while allowing for
more efficient use of healthcare workers.
These changes help reduce administrative and logistical burdens, improve
flexibility for providers, and support greater access to services, espe-
cially for patients receiving care at home or in school settings, with-
out compromising clinical standards or accountability.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11220
IN ASSEMBLY
May 1, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
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:
1 Section 1. Subdivision c of section 6738 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 511 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 c. For the purposes of the provision of physical therapist assistant
5 services in a home care services setting, as such services are defined
6 in article thirty-six of the public health law, except that the home
7 care services setting shall not include early intervention services as
8 defined in title two-A of article twenty-five of the public health law,
9 whether such services are provided by a home care services agency or
10 under the supervision of a physical therapist licensed pursuant to this
11 article, continuous supervision of a licensed physical therapist assist-
12 ant, who has had direct clinical experience for a period of not less
13 than two years, by a licensed physical therapist shall not be construed
14 as requiring the physical presence of such licensed physical therapist
15 at the time and place where such services are performed. For purposes of
16 this subdivision "continuous supervision" shall be deemed to include:
17 (i) the licensed physical therapist's setting of goals, establishing a
18 plan of care and determining whether the patient is appropriate to
19 receive the services of a licensed physical therapist assistant subject
20 to the licensed physical therapist's evaluation; (ii) [an initial joint
21 visit with the patient by the supervising licensed physical therapist
22 and the licensed physical therapist assistant; (iii)] periodic treatment
23 and evaluation of the patient by the supervising licensed physical ther-
24 apist, as indicated in the plan of care and as determined in accordance
25 with patient need, but in no instance shall the interval between such
26 treatment exceed every six patient visits or thirty days, whichever
27 occurs first; and [(iv)] (iii) a final evaluation by the supervising
28 licensed physical therapist to determine if the plan of care shall be
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15557-02-6
A. 11220 2
1 terminated. For purposes of this subdivision, the number of licensed
2 physical therapist assistant's supervised in the home care services
3 setting by a licensed physical therapist shall not exceed the ratio of
4 two physical therapist assistants to one licensed physical therapist.
5 § 2. Paragraph 1 of subdivision d of section 6738 of the education
6 law, as amended by chapter 511 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read
7 as follows:
8 (1) For purposes of the provision of licensed physical therapist
9 assistant services in public primary or private primary or secondary
10 schools and for preschool children, as that term is defined in paragraph
11 i of subdivision one of section forty-four hundred ten of this chapter,
12 and receiving services thereunder, continuous supervision of a licensed
13 physical therapist assistant, who has direct clinical experience provid-
14 ing age appropriate physical therapy services for a period of not less
15 than two years, by a licensed physical therapist shall not be construed
16 as requiring the physical presence of such licensed physical therapist
17 at the time and place where such services are performed. For purposes of
18 this subdivision "continuous supervision" shall be deemed to include:
19 (i) the licensed physical therapist's setting of the goals, establish-
20 ing a plan of care, determining on an initial and ongoing basis whether
21 the patient is appropriate to receive the services of a licensed phys-
22 ical therapist assistant, determining the frequency of joint visits with
23 the patient by both the supervising licensed physical therapist and the
24 licensed physical therapist assistant, except that in no instance shall
25 the interval, between joint visits, be more than every ninety calendar
26 days, subject to the licensed physical therapist's evaluation;
27 (ii) [an initial joint visit with the patient by the supervising
28 licensed physical therapist and licensed physical therapist assistant;
29 (iii)] periodic treatment and evaluation of the patient by the super-
30 vising licensed physical therapist as indicated in the plan of care and
31 as determined in accordance with patient need, except that in no
32 instance shall the interval between such treatment exceed every twelfth
33 visit or thirty days which ever occurs first; and
34 [(iv)] (iii) notification of the supervising licensed physical thera-
35 pist by the licensed physical therapist assistant whenever there is a
36 change in status, condition or performance of the patient.
37 § 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
38 law provided, however, that the amendments to subdivisions c and d of
39 section 6738 of the education law made by sections one and two of this
40 act shall not affect the repeal of such subdivisions and shall be deemed
41 repealed therewith.
