H 3949 General Bill, By J. Brown, A.W. Byrd, R.J. Herdklotz, J. Hines, 
T.E. Huff, H.G. Hutson, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Mason, Meacham, Neilson, Simrill, 
R. Smith, Vaughn, Whatley and D.A. Wright

Similar(S 731)
 A Bill to amend Section 40-45-130, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
 relating to examinations of applicants for registration as physical therapists
 or as physical therapist assistants, so as to further provide for the required
 grade to pass the examinations.

   04/06/95  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-33
   04/06/95  House  Referred to Committee on Medical, Military,
                     Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-33

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 40-45-130, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO EXAMINATIONS OF APPLICANTS FOR REGISTRATION AS PHYSICAL THERAPISTS OR AS PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS, SO AS TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR THE REQUIRED GRADE TO PASS THE EXAMINATIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 40-45-130 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 40-45-130. The board shall examine applicants for registration as physical therapists or physical therapist assistants at such times and places as it may determine and shall meet at least three times each year for this purpose. The examination shall embrace such subjects as the applied sciences of anatomy, neuroanatomy, kinesiology, physiology, pathology, psychology, physics, and physical therapy, as defined in this chapter, as applied to medicine, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, medical ethics, and technical procedures in the practice of physical therapy as defined in this chapter.

In case of failure at any examination the applicant shall have the privilege of a second examination on payment of the regular fee. In case of a second failure the applicant, to be eligible for a third examination, shall, in addition to the requirements for previous examination, shall have further pursued his studies for such time as the board may designate, and furnish satisfactory evidence thereof.

The grade required for passing the examination before the Board shall be determined by regulation of the Board. For examinations administered by the Professional Examination Service, Assessment Systems, Inc., or any other entity approved or engaged by the board, before July 1, 1995, the passing score for the physical therapist examination and the physical therapist assistant examination shall be 1.5 standard deviations (seventy converted pass point) below the mean for the raw score of the examination. Thereafter, the criterion referenced passing point shall be equal to a scaled score of six hundred based on a score range of two hundred to eight hundred as adopted by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy on February 2, 1993."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.