Nevada committee holds hearing on joining Physical Therapy Licensure Compact to ease provider shortages

The Nevada Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor opened a hearing on Assembly Bill 248, which would enact the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact in Nevada, during a public meeting held in Carson City with participants in Las Vegas and remote attendees.

Advocates and witnesses told the committee the compact would expand access to physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs), shorten licensing timeframes and help military families and providers serving rural or underserved areas. Jeff Rosa, compact administrator with the Physical Therapy Compact Commission and managing director of post-licensure services at the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, told the committee the compact "is an alternate pathway for physical therapy providers who meet the eligibility requirements to obtain the privilege to practice in other states within a matter of minutes instead of days, weeks, or months." Rosa said the commission currently includes 38 states and the District of Columbia.

Committee chair Leigh Marzola, who presented the bill, summarized the compact's provisions section by section and said the measure preserves state-based licensure while creating a streamlined mechanism for an individual licensed in one member state to obtain a compact privilege to practice in another. Marzola noted the compact becomes effective for interstate operation "on the date of the enactment in the tenth state," and that states joining later are subject to rules adopted by the commission when the compact becomes law in that state.

Supporters presented data and operational details. Paul Klein of Tri Strategies said Nevada has "approximately 56 practitioners per 100,000 residents," citing the Legislative Counsel Bureau. Klein said the Nevada Physical Therapy Board has approved supporting the bill and has recommended state fees of $75 for physical therapists and $50 for physical therapist assistants; he also said the board planned to allow a state fee waiver for military veterans and spouses. Jeff Rosa said the compact commission charges a national processing fee (the commission's fee noted in testimony was $45) and that states may charge an additional state fee, which would be collected by the state board and deposited as the state board's process requires.

University and provider witnesses described workforce pressures. Jennifer Nash, a practicing physical therapist, secretary of APTA Nevada and associate professor at UNLV, said Nevada ranks near the bottom nationally for PTs per capita and observed that the compact "streamlines the licensure process, reduces wait times from months to mere minutes and decreases the fees for a new license." Veil Bray of the University of Nevada, Reno said Nevada has "only 41 per 100,000" in another estimate and told the committee the state would need "an additional 356 full time equivalent PTs just to meet the national average." Sean Ellis, vice president of the Nevada chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, described hiring challenges that required onboarding out-of-state candidates while waiting for state licensure.

Other supporters included the Nevada Occupational Therapy Association, the American Physical Therapy Association (Nevada chapter), Career Nevada on behalf of Touro University Nevada, the Vegas Chamber, private-practice representatives and student government leaders. Testimony emphasized expansion of telehealth options, support for military spouses and faster credentialing for insurers. No witnesses registered opposition or neutral testimony during the hearing.

Committee members asked operational questions about fees, where state fees would go and how many compact privileges are being purchased nationally. Rosa said the commission sold just over 12,000 compact privileges in 2024 (about 8,300 in 2023) and described steady growth as more states enact the compact.

The committee closed the hearing on AB 248 after public testimony and did not take a formal vote during the session. The committee's next scheduled meeting was announced as Monday, March 17 at 1:30 p.m.

Ending: The hearing record includes multiple written letters and statements submitted with testimony; committee members said they would take the information under advisement as they consider next steps for AB 248.