PT Compact: How a Bill Becomes a Law (State)

Hi,

I was going to write a short paragraph on how a bill becomes a law at a state level on my last blog post, but I wanted to be as clear as possible, so a separate blog post is much needed. I feel as though there is a lot of confusion in regards to this and there isn't content out there specifically for therapists, UNTIL NOW.

Take a look at the map below, locate your state, and I will explain to you what step in the process your state is and what it means for you as a therapist in terms of advocacy. By the way, this advice can be used for any state legislation, so feel free to apply it to your own state issues!

HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR SPECIFIC STATE **READ BELOW**

Listed below are the actions you can take depending on the state you currently live in order to receive compact privileges (and the very long reasons why):

You must understand this first before understanding state level government!

There are three levels of government in the United States: federal (national), state, and local. DIFFERENT. SEPARATE.

For example, if someone asks you to contact your state senator, it is not your U.S Senator. This is important if you are asked to advocate. The same goes for U.S and state representatives (sometimes called assembly(men/women)/delegates).

Another example,

U.S Senators/Representatives - Think national issues (medicare/telehealth).

State Senators/Representatives- Voted at a district level (meaning your friend who lives in the same state as you will have different state senators/representatives). Think state issues (PT Compact).

Enacted Legislation (Not Yet Issuing or Accepting Compact Privileges)

All 50 states have legislatures made up of elected representatives/assembly(men/women), who consider matters brought forth by the governor or introduced by its members to create legislation that becomes law.

A legislation is enacted once the governor signs the bill (there are other ways a bill can become enacted even if the governor vetoes the bill). However, it does not mean you are going to receive PT compact privileges right away after the bill is signed. The reason for this is because the state has to adjust the licensing processes in order to allow for other therapists from other states to get their compact license which takes time to implement at an administrative level.

For example, in NJ the bill was passed in 2018, but I won't be able to receive privileges until hopefully 2021 (the pandemic has caused a lot of delays).

Basically, all you have to do is wait at this point.

PT Compact Legislation Introduced

Congrats! You now have a bill number. Once a bill is given a number, it is assigned to a committee. In committee, the sponsor (legislator) requests a public hearing for the bill. The committee discusses the bill and hears comments. Public participation is encouraged! This means you need to contact your state legislators (the representative of your district and state senators), and state governor because at some point or another the bill is going to be brought to them and they need to know that THE PUBLIC WANTS THIS.

Once the bill passes the committee it is then reviewed by two chambers** (usually called house of representatives and senate). The bill is then sent to the governor and if the governor signs, or both chambers override the governor’s veto…BILL BECOMES LAW!

During this time period (long process), I suggest contacting your state chapter and learn about their advocacy efforts which will involve donating to the state's PAC (political action committee) and contacting the appropriate people depending on what stage in the process you are in.

Non-Member States Without Legislation Introduced

Contact your state chapter and learn about their advocacy efforts. Right now it is important to submit comments to your state legislators (which can introduce the legislation). If your state legislatures are unaware that this is something that can be beneficial to the general public, then they will not do anything about it. Once the bill sponsor introduces the bill to the chamber, it is given its first reading, receives a number, and is assigned to a committee.

Your goal at this moment is to get that bill number! Which means A LOT of phone calls and emails need to be made.

**A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the Legislature, or the State Legislature, while in 19 states the legislature is called the General Assembly. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the legislature is called the General Court, while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature the Legislative Assembly.

**To be noted, states differ in the terms they use for their legislature and there are also various processes in which a bill can become enacted depending on the time of year/state you live in which is why it is important to contact your state APTA chapter which will provide you with the exact information you need to advocate.

If you made it this far in my blog post, I'm honestly proud of you. Let me know if you have any questions!