Committee hears SB 430 to let physical therapists perform limited CLIA‑waived tests to aid treatment planning

The Public Health and Welfare Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 430, a proposal to allow licensed physical therapists to perform certain CLIA‑waived point‑of‑care laboratory tests to support evaluation and treatment planning.

Jenna, presenting the bill brief to the committee, said SB 430 would add a statutory section permitting a licensed physical therapist to perform CLIA‑waived tests, require the facility to hold a CLIA certificate of waiver, and prohibit the tests from serving as an independent authority to diagnose medical conditions. The bill would also bar physical therapists from billing third‑party payers for those tests as a standalone service, while allowing them to charge patients for the reasonable cost of tests and supplies; it is written to take effect upon publication of the statute book (07/01/2026).

Proponents said the tests would improve patient safety and help therapists tailor rehabilitation. Jennifer Caswell, a physical therapist and legislative chair for the American Physical Therapy Association, Kansas chapter, told the committee, “Being able to use lactate testing, finger stick prick, just a drop of blood on a monitor … in just under 15 seconds, I can see exactly at the time how they're doing.” She said such testing would be especially useful for geriatric patients and others taking medications that blunt heart‑rate responses.

Physical therapist Chris Deck described clinical uses for lactate monitoring, including concussion management and ACL rehabilitation, and explained a before‑and‑after testing approach to identify the right exercise intensity. “Lactate testing has been around for 50 years,” Deck said, and added he has used the method for five years in practice.

Opponents and neutral witnesses raised questions about test validity, costs and regulatory consequences. Dr. Travis Soller, executive director of the Kansas Chiropractic Association, said a negotiated amendment limiting the measure to blood glucose and lactate eased concerns but did not eliminate them, and he cited risks of duplication of services, increased out‑of‑pocket costs and potential regulatory costs to the Board of Healing Arts.

Dr. Aaron Fast, a family physician presenting neutral testimony for the Kansas Medical Society, said capillary (finger‑stick) lactate testing has historically had poor correlation with venous lactate and variable inter‑observer reliability. “As a physician, the only time we use lactic acid is in the hospital setting, and that's a venous draw to look for sepsis,” he said, adding that he was uncertain about outpatient benefit and urging protections for informed consent and medical records if the bill proceeds.

Committee members asked whether glucose testing would be used for before‑and‑after comparisons (proponents said no for glucose; lactate is the focus for before/after) and probed whether pregnancy testing (HCG) was contemplated in the bill (proponents said the bill’s scope is primarily rehabilitation‑focused rather than routine screening). Senators also discussed billing mechanics; proponents said physical therapists bill by session and would not submit a separate claim for a lactate test.

The hearing record shows a mix of support for giving therapists an additional clinical tool and caution from medical stakeholders about whether capillary lactate reliably informs clinical decisions and how insurance and regulatory systems would handle the tests. The committee closed the hearing on SB 430 without immediate final action recorded in the transcript.