Physical therapy and veterinary medicine: animal physical therapy.

Assembly Member Wallis's animal physical therapy legislation establishes a framework for licensed physical therapists to provide therapeutic services to animals under veterinary oversight in California. The measure creates two pathways for qualified physical therapists to treat animal patients: direct supervision at veterinary premises or through veterinary referral with a formal practice agreement.

Physical therapists seeking to provide animal therapy must meet specific qualifications, including maintaining an active license for at least one year and completing specialized training. The required education encompasses 100 hours of animal-specific coursework covering areas like anatomy, biomechanics, and treatment planning, plus 40 hours of clinical training under licensed supervision. Practitioners must also accumulate 125 hours of supervised animal physical therapy experience and notify the Physical Therapy Board of their animal practice.

The legislation establishes clear oversight mechanisms and liability provisions. Physical therapists working through veterinary referral must maintain practice agreements detailing safety protocols, communication procedures, and service locations. While therapists bear sole liability for delegated treatment tasks, veterinarians issuing treatment orders are protected from liability for subsequent physical therapy services. The measure also mandates information sharing between regulatory boards regarding disciplinary actions and practice restrictions, with suspended or revoked licenses automatically barring animal physical therapy practice.