Board staff report rising enforcement costs and staffing changes; legislative and rulemaking work underway

Executive Officer Jason Keiser told the Physical Therapy Board of California on March 18 that the board is monitoring a projected general-fund shortfall statewide and has planned an 8% reduction in its overall budget projections. Keiser reported a notable increase in enforcement workload and legal costs: a roughly 8% increase in complaints, a 53% increase in cases referred to the Attorney General for filing, and a 22% increase in accusations at the end of the reporting period. As a result, staff are preparing a one-time augmentation request to cover higher AG/OAH costs; the request, if approved, would be charged to the board’s enforcement fund and could affect the fund condition if denied.

Keiser also reported staffing changes: an analyst vacancy in the applications services unit (endorsement analyst Arianna Rathman accepted a promotional position at another board) and the hiring of Anastasia Stokes to the administrative services unit as lead with eight-plus years of finance and budget experience. Staff…