(a) There is established within the department of commerce and consumer affairs for administrative purposes the board of physical therapy. The board shall consist of seven members. Four members shall be physical therapists, one member shall be a physical therapist assistant, and two members shall be consumers. All members shall be at least eighteen years of age and residents of the State.
Physical therapist: means a person who is licensed to practice physical therapy in this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 461J-1
Physical therapist assistant: means a person who is licensed as a physical therapist assistant in the State and assists the physical therapist in selected components of treatment or intervention. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 461J-1
physical therapy services: means the examination, treatment, and instruction of human beings to detect, assess, prevent, correct, alleviate, and limit physical disability, bodily malfunction, pain from injury, disease, and any other physical or mental condition as performed by a physical therapist appropriately licensed under this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 461J-1
(b) Each physical therapist member of the board shall possess a valid permanent license as a physical therapist and shall have, after graduation from a school of physical therapy, at least three years of full-time experience or the equivalent in any of the following areas or in any combination of the following: clinical physical therapy services, administration in physical therapy or related health fields, or teaching in an educational program to prepare practitioners of physical therapy.(c) The physical therapist assistant member of the board shall possess a valid permanent license as a physical therapist assistant and shall have, after graduation from an accredited physical therapist assistant program or an accredited physical therapy program, at least three years of full-time experience.(d) The governor may appoint and fill each vacancy on the board pursuant to § 26-34.
