Physical Therapy Board approves minutes, endorses three bills and appoints new member at June meeting

Sacramento — The Physical Therapy Board of California met June 25 in a hybrid session at the Department of Consumer Affairs hearing room and by WebEx. The board approved prior meeting minutes and took formal positions on several bills the same day, and it heard staff reports on operations, outreach and the upcoming sunset review process.

Board business and votes

The board approved minutes from its March 2025 meeting, with a 4‑0 roll‑call vote. Board President Karen Brandon presided; the recorded yea votes were Karen Bridal, Samuel Quell, Dale Armstrong and (new member) Talakalev; Tanya McMillan was absent.

The board then voted 4‑0 to direct staff to send letters of support for two pieces of physical‑therapy‑related legislation and one administrative measure:

• AB 1009 — a bill that would create an administrative‑services credential pathway for school‑based physical therapists and occupational therapists; the board voted to support the bill (4‑0).

• AB 574 — a bill to limit prior‑authorization requirements for an initial set of physical therapy visits in health plan coverage; the board voted to support a letter of endorsement (4‑0).

• SB 470 — a bill extending certain Badgley‑Keene teleconferencing provisions allowing state bodies to hold virtual meetings under specified conditions; the board voted to support maintaining those provisions (4‑0).

Where the votes occurred: Each of those motions was made on the record and carried by the same 4‑0 vote with a recorded roll call; the motions and results are in the public transcript and minutes.

Appointment and oath

The board introduced and administered the oath of office to a newly appointed board member, Dr. Talakalev (of San Carlos), who was sworn in and welcomed during the president’s report. The executive officer described the appointee’s background in clinical practice and residency education. (Transcript contains variations in the spelling of the new member’s name; this article uses the name as introduced during the meeting.)

Committee formation and sunset preparation

With the legislature’s 2027 sunset review approaching, the board discussed preparations for drafting the required sunset report to the legislature. President Karen Brandon announced a two‑member sunset committee to work with staff on the report; she and board member Dale Armstrong volunteered to serve on that committee and will coordinate with staff on scheduling and content.

Executive‑level compensation process discussed

The board received a presentation from the Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Human Resources on the process for requesting an exempt‑level or exempt‑salary increase for an executive officer position. The HR presenter explained that boards may request (1) an exempt salary increase for the incumbent within an existing salary band and (2) an exempt level increase that raises the salary band for the position itself; the latter does not automatically adjust an incumbent’s pay. The board discussed forming a small subcommittee to gather background and, as part of that discussion, board member Samuel Quell volunteered to assist with preliminary review related to exempt‑level considerations.

Staff reports and other items

Executive Officer Jason Kiser reported on outreach, staffing and fiscal matters. Highlights included:

• Outreach and communications: The board’s outreach liaison reported continuing social‑media growth on TikTok and Instagram and ongoing outreach to student programs; the board also plans consumer‑focused outreach events this fall.

• Staffing and budget: The executive officer announced a new associate analyst in the continuing competency unit and warned that ongoing increases in enforcement costs have prompted a one‑time augmentation request to cover attorney‑general and OAH fees for the current fiscal year; staff said they will monitor expenditures and return with year‑end budget data in September.

• Sunset cycle: Staff explained that the board’s practice act authority is scheduled for sunset review in 2027 and recommended adding at least one extra meeting date to the 2025 calendar to help prepare the legislative sunset report.

Regulatory work

Staff briefed the board that continuing competency regulatory amendments are in the concept phase and that the staff team is collecting data to support two regulatory packages: one to amend existing continuing competency rules and another to address approval‑agency fees.

Public comment and stakeholder engagement

Stakeholders and public commenters attended remotely and in person. Commenters included representatives of the California Physical Therapy Association (CPTA), which offered to help share PTBC communications with a broader membership, and members of the Animal Physical Therapy Coalition who requested an educational presentation to the board before the board takes a position on AB 1458 (a related two‑year bill concerning animal physical therapy that the board is monitoring).

Clarifying details

• Votes recorded for motions listed above: all recorded votes were 4‑0 in favor, with one member absent (Tanya McMillan).

• Meeting format and location: hybrid meeting in Sacramento (Department of Consumer Affairs hearing room at 2005 Evergreen Street) and WebEx.

Speakers (excerpted and identified from the meeting record)

• Karen Brandon — President, Physical Therapy Board of California (presided over the meeting and announced committee formation).

• Jason Kiser — Executive Officer, Physical Therapy Board of California (executive‑office, staffing and sunset briefing).

• Brooke Arneson — Legislation and Regulation Manager, PTBC (legislative report and bill analyses).

• April Beauchamp — Communications and Education Liaison, PTBC (outreach report).

• Kim Razakis — Board relations/liaison, PTBC (minutes and board administrative support).

• Alice Bordick (DCA representative) and a CPTA representative, Tamika Island, provided department‑level and stakeholder updates.

Authorities and items referenced

• Badgley‑Keene Open Meetings Act (teleconferencing provisions referenced in SB 470 discussion).

• Sunset review and the board’s practice act authority (Business and Professions Code provisions governing the board were discussed in staff materials and the sunset preparation briefing).

Provenance (selected evidence from the meeting record)

• Minutes approval (topicintro/topfinish): Discussion and proposed edits began in the minutes review segment; the formal roll call approving the minutes occurred on the record with a 4‑0 vote (transcript roll call at 01:52:13).

• AB 1009 (topicintro): Motion recorded on the public record: “I move to support AB 1009.” (transcript). (topfinish): Vote recorded “4 to 0, motion carry to support AB 1009.”

• AB 574 (topicintro): Motion recorded on the public record: “I move to support AB 574, prior authorization physical therapy.” (topfinish): Vote recorded “4 to 0. Motion carried.”

• SB 470 (topicintro): Motion recorded on the public record to support maintaining teleconference provisions; (topfinish): Vote recorded “4 to 0. Motion carried.”

Ending

The board recessed at the end of the business day and will continue its meeting on the following day to complete remaining agenda items. Staff said it will bring budget and regulatory updates in September and will coordinate the newly formed sunset committee meetings with members.