The Alabama Legislature is considering a bill that will make it easier for physical therapists new to the state to begin work immediately.

Currently, new residents who are trained and licensed in physical therapy in other states must first take an exam in Alabama and then apply for a license in the state. During that time, they are unable to work. The process can take several weeks or even months.

Senate Bill 25, introduced by State Sen. Greg Albritton, (R-Range), would allow those individuals to work in Alabama while they applied for a license. It would also allow PTs who live in other states to work here or tend to patients through telemedicine.

Alabama previously passed legislation to join the Physical Therapy Compact, an organization that maintains agreements between member states that allows eligible physical therapists to work in those states. This year's bill gives permission for someone licensed in another state to legally practice in Alabama and for PTs licensed in Alabama to work in other member states.

Currently 28 states, including Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia, are all members of the compact.

Albritton said the bill is simply about reciprocity.
"We need to do more of this, not less," Albritton said.

Jeff Rosa, managing director of post licensure services at the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, said the ability for licensed individuals to move easier provides more opportunities for patients and providers.

"Under the compact, people moving to a new state can start providing services while they are waiting for their license to be issued. It helps with that transition," he said.

Providers in compact states can retain their home state license and cross the border to work in other compact states as well as visit patients via telemedicine.

Rosa added that joining the compact would be especially helpful for snowbirds who travel to Alabama in the winter months.

"They would have that continuity of care with the same physical therapist as they switch between states," he said.

Rosa said the ability to cross borders easier can help alleviate physical therapy shortages in underserved areas.

"There was a shortage of physical therapists, especially during the pandemic," Rosa said. "All of a sudden, we were utilizing telehealth, and this allows for more of that."

In 2020, more than 2,400 physical therapists were granted compact privileges between just 20 states, according to the PT Compact.

The need for more physical therapists across all states is expected to continue to grow. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in the field to grow 17% in the next decade.

The bill has been approved by the senate and was sent to the Alabama House