By Dukes                                        H.B. No. 1732

      75R5550 PB-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the definition of a physical therapist.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 1(2), Chapter 836, Acts of the 62nd

 1-5     Legislature, Regular Session, 1971 (Article 4512e, Vernon's Texas

 1-6     Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

 1-7                 (2)  "Physical therapist" means a person who practices

 1-8     physical therapy and is licensed by the Texas Board of Physical

 1-9     Therapy Examiners.  "Hydrotherapist," "physiotherapist,"

1-10     "mechano-therapist," "functional therapist," "physical therapy

1-11     practitioner," "physical therapist specialist," "physical therapy

1-12     specialist," "physiotherapy practitioner," ["kinesiotherapist,"]

1-13     "physical rehabilitation specialist," and "myofunctional therapist"

1-14     are equivalent terms; any derivation of the above terms or any

1-15     reference to any one of them in this Act includes the others.

1-16           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-22     passage, and it is so enacted.