MAINTENANCE OF CERTIFICATION
§ 40.191. Renewal of certification.
(a) A certification issued under this subchapter expires on December 31 of every even-numbered year unless renewed for the next biennium.
(b) Biennial renewal forms and other forms and literature to be distributed by the Board will be forwarded to the last mailing address given to the Board by the certified physical therapist assistant. The certified physical therapist assistant shall notify the Board in writing within 10 days after making an address change. Failure of the Board to send or of the certified physical therapist assistant to receive a biennial renewal application does not relieve the certified physical therapist assistant of the biennial renewal responsibility.
(c) To retain the right to provide services as a physical therapist assistant, the certified physical therapist assistant’s certification shall be renewed by the certified physical therapist assistant in the manner prescribed by the Board, and the required fee shall be paid by the certified physical therapist assistant prior to the expiration of the next biennium. A certified physical therapist assistant applying for biennial certificate renewal shall:
(1) Complete and submit the renewal application, including payment of the biennial renewal fee in § 40.5 (relating to fees) for application for biennial renewal of physical therapist assistant certificate.
(2) Disclose any license, certificate, registration or other authorization to provide services as a physical therapist assistant in another state, territory, possession or country.
(3) Disclose any disciplinary action pending before the appropriate healthcare licensing authority in any other jurisdiction or taken since the most recent application for renewal, whether or not licensed, registered or certified to practice in that other jurisdiction.
(4) Disclose any pending criminal charges and any finding or verdict of guilt, admission of guilt, plea of nolo contendere or other criminal conviction since the most recent application for renewal.
(5) Verify that the certified physical therapist assistant has complied with the continuing education requirements mandated by section 9.1(j) of the act (63 P.S. § 1309.1(j)) during the biennial period immediately preceding the period for which renewal is sought in accordance with § 40.192 (relating to continuing education for certified physical therapist assistant), including at least 2 hours of approved courses in child abuse recognition and reporting in accordance with § 40.208(b) (relating to child abuse recognition and reporting—mandatory training requirement). The Board will not renew a physical therapist assistant certification if the certified physical therapist assistant has not completed the continuing education required under § 40.192 during the biennial period immediately preceding the period for which renewal is sought.
(d) When a certification is renewed beyond December 31 of an even-numbered year, a late fee of $5 for each month or part of a month that the certified physical therapist assistant has provided services as a physical therapist assistant beyond the renewal date will be charged, in addition to the renewal fee. Payment of a late fee does not preclude the Board from taking disciplinary action for providing services as a physical therapist assistant without a current certification.
(e) A certified physical therapist assistant who does not intend to provide services as a physical therapist assistant in this Commonwealth and who does not desire to renew the certification shall inform the Board in writing. Written confirmation of the Board’s receipt of the request and notice that the certification has been classified as inactive will be forwarded to the certified physical therapist assistant.
(f) The certified physical therapist assistant who either fails to pay the biennial renewal fee or who notifies the Board of the desire not to renew the certification will not be sent biennial renewal forms for the following biennial renewal periods unless the certified physical therapist assistant requests the Board, in writing, to reactivate the certification.
(g) To reactivate an inactive certification, the certified physical therapist assistant shall apply on forms supplied by the Board and answer all questions fully. The certified physical therapist assistant shall:
(1) Include the documentation required under § 40.192(b) for the immediately preceding biennium, which may be completed during the current biennium. Unless waived by the Board under § 40.192(a)(4), the Board will not reactivate a certificate until the required continuing education for the preceding biennium has been successfully completed.
(2) Pay the current renewal fee and the reactivation application fee in § 40.5.
(3) Verify that the certified physical therapist assistant did not provide services as a physical therapist assistant in this Commonwealth while the certification was inactive.
(h) A certified physical therapist assistant who does not make the verification of subsection (g)(3) shall also pay prior biennial renewal fees and late fees as required under this subsection. Unless previously paid, the certified physical therapist assistant shall pay the renewal fee for each biennial renewal period after the certificate became inactive and during which the certified physical therapist assistant provided services as a physical therapist assistant in this Commonwealth. The certified physical therapist assistant shall also pay a late fee of $5 per month or part of month from the first date the certified physical therapist assistant provided services as a physical therapist assistant in this Commonwealth after the certificate became inactive until the date the certified physical therapist assistant files a fully-completed reactivation application. The applicant for certification reactivation will not be assessed a fee or penalty for preceding biennial periods in which the applicant did not provide services as a physical therapist assistant in this Commonwealth. Payment of a late fee does not preclude the Board from taking disciplinary action for providing services as a physical therapist assistant without a current certification.
(i) If other conditions of the act and this chapter have been met, active status will be restored upon payment of the fees which have accrued.
(j) A certified physical therapist assistant who has not renewed the certification may not provide services as a physical therapist assistant in this Commonwealth until the certification has been renewed or reactivated. A certified physical therapist assistant who provides services as a physical therapist assistant in this Commonwealth after the certification has expired and before it has been renewed or reactivated is subject to disciplinary action under section 9.1(d) and (f) of the act, as set forth in § 40.181(a)(6) (relating to refusal, suspension or revocation of certification). A certified physical therapist assistant who has provided services as a physical therapist assistant during a period in which the certified physical therapist assistant’s certification was not active may be subject to criminal prosecution under section 12 of the act (63 P. S. § 1312).
(k) In addition to the other requirements of this section, a certified physical therapist assistant whose certification has been inactive for 5 years or more shall demonstrate current competence to provide services as a physical therapist assistant by one or both of the following:
(1) Successful completion of the certification examination required under § 40.164 (relating to physical therapist assistant certification examination).
(2) Satisfaction of the requirements of § 40.163(b) (relating to requirements for certification) and proof of licensed or certified provision of services as a physical therapist assistant in one or more other jurisdictions of the United States or Canada for at least 36 months of the 5 years immediately preceding application for reactivation.
Authority The provisions of this § 40.191 amended under section 3(a) of the Physical Therapy Practice Act (63 P.S. § 1303(a)); section 16 of the act of July 4, 2008 (P.L. 293, No. 38); and 23 Pa.C.S. § 6383(b)(2).
Source The provisions of this § 40.191 adopted July 24, 1992, effective July 25, 1992, 22 Pa.B. 3872; amended December 21, 2012, effective December 22, 2012, 42 Pa.B. 7652; amended August 6, 2021, effective August 7, 2021, 51 Pa.B. 4325. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (391972) to (391974).
Cross References This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 40.192 (relating to continuing education for certified physical therapist assistant); and 49 Pa. Code § 43b.26 (relating to schedule of civil penalties—physical therapists and physical therapist assistants).
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