Committee debates temporary licensure pathway: 12-month limit, PT hours and supervision left unresolved

Staff presented a proposed temporary licensure pathway designed to provide an expedited path for out-of-state graduates while preserving patient safety. The draft would mirror existing temporary licenses (such as those for military spouses), use the term "temporary," and replace the phrase "practice restrictions" with "practice limitations."

Committee members pressed for specifics. Ms. Cruz asked whether a strict 12-month period is sufficient and raised situations in which a licensee might be enrolled in required courses but unable to complete them within a year. "Is 12 months still make sense?" she asked. Members suggested a narrowly defined extension or renewal mechanism, modeled after other boards (for example, the Board of Behavioral Sciences and Board of Psychology), that provides a documented pathway to extend eligibility when applicants can show they are enrolled and making progress.

The group focused substantial attention on physical-therapy (PT) requirements. A committee member said many schools outside California do not include the California PT hours in their curriculum. Staff and members estimated the PT requirement at about 120 hours and stressed that a large portion are lab/practical hours. Members favored explicit language requiring direct, on-site supervision for PT lab hours and discussed multiple pathways to demonstrate competence, including supervised clinical hours, partnerships with licensed physical therapists, or competency-based assessments.

Members also discussed verification mechanics (how an applicant documents enrollment or completion) and whether the board should allow a narrowly defined extension upon proof of enrollment and progress. Staff said the board will propose statutory authority for a temporary license application fee during the sunset process and will refine supervisory language to mirror preceptor/on-site supervision requirements.

No formal motion was taken on the proposal; staff will draft tighter language on supervision, PT verification and an extension mechanism and return to the committee for further consideration.