FAL Briefing Memo April 2025

• By: admin
• On: 05/05/2025 12:55:38
• In: News

Bipartisan Effort Aims to Streamline Interstate Practice for Physical Therapists and Assistants

Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress has reintroduced legislation that would expedite the federal background check process for physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) seeking to practice in multiple states through interstate licensure compacts. The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act, H.R. 2332 in the House and S.1101 in the Senate, was introduced on March 25, 2025, by Representatives Tracey Mann (R-KS) and Joe Neguse (D-CO), and Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The SHARE Act seeks to ensure the timely processing of required federal background checks, a crucial step for PTs and PTAs to obtain Compact privileges. The Physical Therapy Compact allows eligible professionals to practice in member states beyond their primary state of licensure. Currently, delays in federal background check processing can hinder the ability of these healthcare providers to offer their services across state lines efficiently.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), which strongly endorses the SHARE Act, the legislation would significantly reduce the time and cost associated with obtaining licenses in multiple jurisdictions. This would enable PTs and PTAs to more readily meet the needs of patients in various states, particularly in areas facing shortages of qualified professionals.

In the previous Congress, this same legislation garnered support from nearly 60 healthcare provider associations and major hospitals, highlighting the broad recognition of the need to facilitate interstate practice for healthcare professionals.

In other news:

• CMS Proposes Updates to Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Payments: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a proposed rule outlining updates to Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for the fiscal year 2026. The proposed rule suggests a 2.6% increase in IRF PPS payment rates.
• APTA Announces Upcoming Events and Resources: The APTA has several upcoming events, including APTA Capitol Hill Day in June 2025 and the APTA Future of Rehab Therapy Summit 2025. The association has also released its 2024 Annual Report and provided summaries of proposed rules impacting the physical therapy profession.