(For Effective Date, See note.) General Powers and Duties of Board

  1. Law
  2. Georgia Code
  3. Professions and Businesses
  4. Physical Therapists
  5. General Provisions
  6. (For Effective Date, See note.) General Powers and Duties of Board

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In carrying out the provisions of this article, the board shall, in addition to the other powers conferred upon it under this article, have the power to:

  1. Prepare or approve all examinations or applicants for licenses;
  2. Determine the qualifications of and authorize the issuance of licenses to qualified physical therapists and physical therapist assistants;
  3. Determine the qualifications for and approve educational programs that prepare physical therapists and physical therapist assistants for the purpose of determining qualifications of applicants for licensure;
  4. Initiate investigations of alleged or suspected violations of the provisions of this article or other laws of this state pertaining to physical therapy and any rules and regulations adopted by the board.For this purpose, any board member or authorized agent of the board shall have the power and right to enter and make reasonable inspection of any place where physical therapy is practiced;
  5. Conduct all hearings in contested cases according to Chapter 13 of Title 50, known as the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act";
  6. Discipline any person licensed under this article, or refuse to grant, renew, or restore a license to any person upon any ground specified in this article;
  7. Adopt a seal, the imprint of which together with the authorized signature of either the division director or other member authorized by the board shall be effective to evidence its official acts;
  8. Establish licensing fees and maintain in the office of the division director a register of all persons holding a license and a record of all inspections made;
  9. Adopt and publish in print or electronically a code of ethics;
  10. Issue training permits;
  11. Adopt such rules and regulations as shall be reasonably necessary for the enforcement and implementation of the provisions and purposes of this article and other laws of this state insofar as they relate to physical therapy;
  12. Administer the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact contained in Article 2 of this chapter; and
  13. (For effective date, see note.) Conduct national background checks by the submission of fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation through the Georgia Crime Information Center; provided, however, that reports from such background checks shall not be shared with entities outside of this state.

(Ga. L. 1951, p. 175, § 15; Ga. L. 1962, p. 633, § 2; Ga. L. 1972, p. 388, § 10; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1416, §§ 1, 10; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 32; Ga. L. 1986, p. 812, § 4; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2434, § 4; Ga. L. 1997, p. 715, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1706, § 19; Ga. L. 2010, p. 838, § 10/SB 388; Ga. L. 2019, p. 126, §§ 2, 4/HB 39; Ga. L. 2020, p. 575, § 1/HB 752.)

Code Commission notes.

- Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1986, "under this chapter" was substituted for "hereunder" in paragraph (6).

Administrative Rules and Regulations.

- Rules of the profession, Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Rules of Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy, Chapter 490-1 et seq.

OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

Physical therapist assistants.

- Licensed physical therapist assistant must be supervised and directed by a licensed physical therapist, and the State Board of Physical Therapy presently is not authorized to promulgate rules providing for disciplinary action against, or delineating the services which may be provided by, a physical therapy aide. 1989 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 89-46.


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