Permits physical therapists to continue to order diagnostic imaging as an authorized practice of physical therapy beyond December 31, 2025.
Summary
H6060 amends Rhode Island’s physical therapy statute to remove the current sunset on physical therapists’ authority to order diagnostic imaging. Under existing law, licensed physical therapists may order diagnostic imaging, must report the results to a patient’s primary care physician within seven days, and are scheduled to lose that authority after December 31, 2025 unless the General Assembly extends it. This bill extends that authority beyond the sunset date by striking the expiration and allowing the practice to continue.
The bill does not create a new licensing category or expand imaging authority beyond what is already permitted; rather, it preserves an existing practice within the scope of physical therapy. It leaves in place the reporting requirement to a patient’s primary care physician when one exists, and it continues to allow managed healthcare plans to provide utilization reports as previously required. The act takes effect upon passage, so its practical effect is to prevent a lapse in authority at the end of 2025.
Impact
The bill amends § 5-40-23 of the Rhode Island General Laws, Chapter 5-40 governing physical therapists, by eliminating the sunset provision that would otherwise terminate physical therapists’ authority to order diagnostic imaging after December 31, 2025. As a result, physical therapists licensed under Rhode Island law may continue ordering diagnostic imaging as part of authorized physical therapy practice, subject to existing reporting requirements and any other applicable professional or payer rules. The change primarily affects physical therapists, patients receiving musculoskeletal or rehabilitation care, primary care physicians who receive imaging reports, and managed healthcare plans that have been subject to utilization reporting obligations.
Sentiment
The available voting history indicates strong support for the bill, with the House passing it 71-0 on June 10, 2025. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, and there is no recorded opposition in the materials supplied. The overall sentiment appears favorable and noncontroversial, reflecting legislative support for continuing an existing practice rather than changing the scope of care in a more expansive way.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The only potentially debatable issue inherent in the bill is whether the authority for physical therapists to order diagnostic imaging should remain in place permanently or be allowed to expire as originally scheduled. Any concerns would likely center on scope-of-practice boundaries, oversight, and coordination with physicians and insurers, but the vote record provided shows no recorded dissent.