1. 1. “Accredited” means accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation organization.

2. 2. “Accredited educational program” means a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant educational program that is accredited by:

   1. a. The Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education, or
   2. b. An agency recognized as qualified to accredit physical therapist or physical therapist assistant programs by either the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation at the time of the applicant’s graduation.
3. 3. “Administratively suspend,” as used in A.R.S. § 32-2027, means a non-disciplinary action in which the Board places a license issued under A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 19 and this Chapter on suspended status because the license was not renewed timely.
4. 4. “Applicant” means an individual or business entity seeking an initial or renewal license, initial or renewal registration, interim permit, or reinstatement from the Board.
5. 5. “Applicant packet” means the forms and additional information the Board requires to be submitted by an applicant or on the applicant’s behalf.
6. 6. “Campus” means a facility and immediately adjacent buildings.
7. 7. “Clinical performance instrument” means a tool used to assess an individual’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes for readiness to work as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, as applicable, that is accepted by the Board and listed on its website.
8. 8. “College Board” means an association composed of schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations across the United States that is responsible for the development of assessment tests that are used to provide college credit or for college placement.
9. 9. “College level examination program” means services offered by the College Board for an individual to demonstrate college-level achievement by taking an examination approved by the College Board.
10. 10. “Compliance period” means the two-year license renewal cycle that ends August 31 of even‑numbered years.
11. 11. “Continuing competence” means maintaining the professional skill, knowledge, and ability of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant by successfully completing scholarly and professional activities related to physical therapy.
12. 12. “Course” means an organized subject matter in which instruction is offered within a specified period of time.
13. 13. “Course evaluation tool” means the Coursework Evaluation Tool for Foreign Educated Physical Therapists who Graduated after June 30, 2009, Fifth Edition, 2004 (effective July 1, 2009), published by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, 124 West Street, South Alexandria, VA, 22314, incorporated by reference and on file with the Board. This incorporation by reference contains no future editions or amendments.
14. 14. “Credential evaluation” means a written assessment of a foreign-educated applicant’s general and professional educational course work.
15. 15. “Credential evaluation agency” means an organization that evaluates a foreign-educated applicant’s education and provides recommendations to the Board about whether the applicant’s education is substantially equivalent to physical therapy education provided in an accredited educational program.
16. 16. “Days” means calendar days.
17. 17. “Endorsement” means a procedure for granting an Arizona license to an applicant already licensed as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant in another jurisdiction of the United States.
18. 18. “ETS” means Educational Testing Service, an organization that provides educational learning and assessment services, including the Test of English as a Foreign Language Program.

19. 19. “Facility” means a building where:

    1. a. A physical therapist is engaged in the practice of physical therapy;
    2. b. An applicant or licensee is engaged in a supervised clinical practice; or
    3. c. A physical therapist assistant performs physical therapy-related tasks delegated by an onsite supervisor.
20. 20. “Foreign‑educated applicant” means an individual who graduated from a physical therapist educational program outside the United States, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
21. 21. “Functional limitation” means restriction of the ability to perform a physical action, activity, or task in an efficient, typically expected, or competent manner.
22. 22. “Hour” means 60 minutes.
23. 23. “iBT” means internet-based TOEFL.
24. 24. “National disciplinary database” means the disciplinary database of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Integrity and Protection Data Base, which contains previous or current disciplinary actions taken against a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant by state licensing agencies.
25. 25. “National examination” means an examination produced by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy or an examination produced by the American Physical Therapy Association.
26. 26. “On call,” as used in the definition of “general supervision” prescribed under A.R.S. § 32-2001, means a supervising physical therapist is able to go to the location at which and on the same day that a physical therapist assistant provides a selected treatment intervention if the physical therapist, after consultation with the physical therapist assistant, determines that going to the location is in the best interest of the patient.
27. 27. “Onsite supervisor” means a physical therapist who provides onsite supervision as defined in A.R.S. § 32-2001.
28. 28. “Physical therapy services” means any of the actions stated in the definition of practice of physical therapy in A.R.S. § 32-2001.

29. 29. “Qualified translator” means an individual, other than an applicant, who is:

    1. a. An officer or employee of an official translation bureau or government agency,
    2. b. A professor or instructor who teaches a translated language in an accredited college or university in the United States,
    3. c. An American consul in the country where the translated document is issued or another individual designated by the American consul in the country where the translated document is issued, or
    4. d. A consul general or diplomatic representative of the United States or individual designated by the consul general or diplomatic representative.
30. 30. “Readily available,” as used in the definition of “general supervision” prescribed under A.R.S. § 32-2001, means a supervising physical therapist is able to respond within 15 minutes to a communication from a physical therapist assistant providing a selected treatment intervention under general supervision.
31. 31. “Recognized standards of ethics” means the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist (amended August 12, 2020) and the accompanying Guide for Professional Conduct (amended March 2019 and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the PTA (amended August 2020) of the American Physical Therapy Association, 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085, which are incorporated by reference and on file with the Board. This incorporation includes no later editions or amendments.
32. 32. “Supervised clinical practice” means a physical therapist is engaged in the practice of physical therapy or a physical therapist assistant is engaged in work as a physical therapist assistant after being issued an interim permit by the Board.
33. 33. “Supervising physical therapist” means a physical therapist licensed under this Chapter who provides onsite or general supervision to licensed physical therapist assistants or onsite supervision to other assistive personnel, interim permit holders, student physical therapists, and student physical therapist assistants.
34. 34. “Suspend” means a disciplinary action in which the Board places a license or registration in a status that restricts the holder of the license or registration from practicing as a physical therapist, working as a physical therapist assistant, or offering physical therapy services.
35. 35. “TOEFL” means test of English as a foreign language.
36. 36. “Week” means the period beginning on Sunday at 12:00 a.m. and ending the following Saturday at 11:59 p.m.

In addition to the definitions in A.R.S. §§ 32-2001 and 32-2053, in this Chapter:

Historical Note

Adopted effective June 3, 1982 (Supp. 82-3). Amended effective April 10, 1986 (Supp. 86-2). Amended effective May 7, 1990 (Supp. 90-2). Amended effective March 14, 1996 (Supp. 96-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 5 A.A.R. 2988, effective August 12, 1999 (Supp. 99-3). Amended by final rulemaking at 6 A.A.R. 2399, effective June 9, 2000 (Supp. 00-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 9 A.A.R. 307, effective January 13, 2003 (Supp. 03-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 2401, effective August 5, 2006 (Supp. 06-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 13 A.A.R. 1640, effective June 30, 2007 (Supp. 07-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 15 A.A.R. 1788, effective December 5, 2009 (Supp. 09-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 18 A.A.R. 841, effective May 11, 2012 (Supp. 12-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 25 A.A.R. 404, effective April 6, 2019 (Supp. 19-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 31 A.A.R. 2377 (July 18, 2025), effective August 30, 2025 (Supp. 25-3).