This section states that the laws and regulations governing the practice of physical therapy in California are called the Physical Therapy Practice Act.

This section defines key terms for the chapter on physical therapy. The "Board" refers to the Physical Therapy Board of California. A "physical therapist" is someone licensed to practice physical therapy. A "physical therapist assistant" helps provide physical therapy under a physical therapist's supervision. The terms "physical therapist assistant" and "physical therapy assistant" mean the same thing. Similarly, "physical therapist technician" and "physical therapy aide" are interchangeable terms. Finally, "physiotherapy" is the same as "physical therapy."

This law explains that the Physical Therapy Board of California is responsible for carrying out and managing the rules in this chapter until January 1, 2027. After this date, the section will be removed, requiring the Legislature's policy committees to review the board.

This law states that the main priority of the Physical Therapy Board of California is to protect the public. If there's ever a conflict between public safety and other goals, public safety should always come first.

This law specifies that the board must have four physical therapists, with only one being a physical therapy educator, plus three public members.

This law explains the qualifications needed to be a member of the board that oversees physical therapists in California. Physical therapist members must live in California, have a valid license, and have practiced for at least five years. Public board members must also be residents of California and meet certain qualifications outlined in other sections. They cannot be affiliated with physical therapy education or licensed by medical boards.

Board members serve four-year terms starting each June. The Governor appoints most members, including one public member and physical therapists. The Senate and the Assembly Speaker each appoint a public member. A board member can serve up to two consecutive terms. If there's a vacancy, a new member is appointed to finish the term. Each year, the board picks a president and vice president. Members can be removed for neglecting duties or behaving unprofessionally.

The Physical Therapy Board of California is responsible for several key duties. It evaluates applicants’ qualifications for licensure, administers exams, and issues licenses for physical therapists and assistants. The board can also suspend or revoke licenses and enforces the laws related to physical therapy practice. Additionally, it manages a continuing competency program, participates in national meetings, publishes an annual newsletter, and provides orientation for new members. Finally, it promotes education related to physical therapy regulations.

The members of the board are entitled to receive a daily allowance and reimbursement for expenses, as detailed in another section of the law.

The board can hire necessary staff to help perform its duties, and it is allowed to form contracts for services needed to enforce its regulations. It can specifically hire licensed physical therapist consultants on a case-by-case basis for help, treating them like public employees when under contract.

This law section explains that the board has the authority to hire an executive officer, investigators, legal counsel, and other staff necessary to manage duties related to physical therapy practices. These hires are exempt from certain state employment rules, allowing the board to decide on their pay and necessary expenses. The Attorney General provides legal support to the board during court and administrative cases. Investigators get special training relevant to physical therapy. The section is set to expire on January 1, 2027.

This section explains that if a license issued by the board is being denied, suspended, revoked, or put on probation, the rules and procedures to handle these situations are detailed in another part of the government's rules (specifically, Chapter 5 of Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code).

This law section says that members of the board or licensed physical therapists chosen by the board have the right to inspect hospitals or other places offering physical therapy services. They can check on the quality of care, the services provided, and look at patient records. However, only board members or physical therapists can perform these inspections, and there are rules about keeping information private as mentioned in another law section.

This section requires the board to follow the rules set by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. Essentially, this means that the board has to conduct its meetings in a way that's open and transparent to the public, ensuring that the public can attend and participate when appropriate.

This law allows the board to appoint qualified people, called commissioners on examination, to give any part of exams related to this chapter. These commissioners don't have to be board members but will follow the same rules and receive the same fees as board members.

This rule explains that the board is responsible for hearing disputes involving things like contested cases or requests to change probation terms. All hearings follow specific government procedures. If the case is disputed and heard by the board, the hearing officer who managed the original hearing must be there to help the board during their decision-making. The board makes its final decision based on certain government rules.

This section requires the board to create regulations needed to implement the rules in this chapter. When making these regulations, the board must follow specific procedures laid out in the Government Code, starting from Section 11340.