New Mexico Register / Volume XXX,
Issue 9 / May 14, 2019
PUBLIC RULE
HEARING AND REGULAR BOARD MEETING
The
New Mexico Physical Therapy Board will hold a rule hearing on Monday, June 17,
2019, at 12:00 p.m. Following the rule
hearing, the Board will convene a board meeting to adopt the rules and take
care of regular business. The rule
hearing and board meeting will be held at the Regulation and Licensing
Department, 5500 San Antonio Dr., NE, Albuquerque, NM.
The
purpose of the rule hearing is to consider proposed amendments to the following
rules:
16.20.2 NMAC - Examinations
16.20.3 NMAC - Issuance of Licenses
16.20.4 NMAC - Temporary License
16.20.6 NMAC - Physical Therapist Assistance
16.20.7 NMAC - Physical Therapist Supervision
16.20.13 NMAC - (New Part) Dry Needling Provision
To
obtain and review copies of the proposed changes and public comments, you may
go to the Board’s website at: http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Physical_Therapy_Rules_and_Laws.aspx
or contact the Boards and Commissions Division at (505) 476-4622.
The
Board is currently accepting public comments on the proposed amendments. Please submit written comments on the proposed
changes to E. Wren Propp, Board Administrator, via electronic mail at: Physical.therapy@state.nm.us, or by regular mail at P.O. Box 25101,
Santa Fe, NM 87504 no later than Friday, June 14, 2019. Comments received prior to the rule hearing will
be posted to the RLD website at: http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Physical_Therapy_Rules_and_Laws.aspx.
Persons will also be given the
opportunity to present their comments at the rule hearing.
An individual with a disability who is
in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or other
form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing,
please contact E. Wren Propp, Board Administrator (505) 476-4622.
Statutory
Authority: Legal authority
for this rulemaking can be found in the Physical Therapy Act, NMSA 1978
Sections 61-12D-1 through -12D-19 which, among other provisions, specifically
authorizes the Board to “adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of
the Physical Therapy Act.” Section 61-12D-5(3).
Summary of
Proposed Changes:
16.20.2 NMAC - Physical Therapists
Add
language to clarify how many times an applicant may sit for the NPTE in a
12-month period based on the requirements of the testing agency. Add new
“Subsection 11” which will provide applicants with an alternate method to
apply for the FSBPT national licensure exam. With this method, the applicant does not need
to apply with the State of New Mexico until they have passed the national exam.
16.20.3 NMAC - Issuance of Licenses
Language change
is to correct a grammatical error and add new subsections to section 8
which will be added to include criminal background checks per the
requirements necessary to set up a Compact for licensure through the Federation
of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).
16.20.4 NMAC - Temporary Licenses
Correction of grammatical errors.
16.20.6 NMAC - Physical Therapist
Assistants
Correction of grammatical errors.
16.20.7 NMAC Supervision
Clarify the use of both the physical
therapist and physical therapist assistant, providing supervision of unlicensed
aides.
16.20.13 NMAC – Dry Needling
Provision (New Part)
This
new part is added to clarify the practice of “dry needling” in the State of New
Mexico. The procedure is allowed within
the scope of practice for a physical therapist and is supported by the American
Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the Federation of State Boards for
Physical Therapy (FSBPT). This new part
will clarify the procedure to obtain certification required when providing dry
needling services in the State of New Mexico.