Licensees may select from a variety of activities to fulfill the requirements for continuing competence. These activities include the following:

1. (1) Continuing education (CE).

   1. (A) Program content and structure must be approved by the board-approved organization, or be offered by a provider accredited by that organization. Programs must meet the following criteria:

      1. (i) Program content must be easily recognizable as pertinent to the physical therapy profession and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical application, clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk management.
      2. (ii) The content must be identified by instructional level, i.e., basic, intermediate, advanced. Program objectives must be clearly written to identify the knowledge and skills the participants should acquire and be consistent with the stated instructional level.
      3. (iii) The instructional methods related to the objectives must be identified and be consistent with the stated objectives.
      4. (iv) Programs must be presented by a licensed health care provider, or by a person with appropriate credentials and/or specialized training in the field.
      5. (v) Program providers are prohibited from self-promotion of programs, products, and/or services during the presentation of the program.
      6. (vi) The participants must evaluate the program. A summary of these evaluations must be made available to the board-approved organization upon request.
      7. (vii) Records of each licensee who participates in the program must be maintained for four years by the CE sponsor/provider and must be made available to the board-approved organization upon request.

   2. (B) CE programs subject to this paragraph include the following:

      1. (i) Live programs.

         1. (I) One contact hour equals 1 continuing competence unit (CCU).
         2. (II) Documentation must include the name and license number of the licensee; the title, sponsor/provider, date(s), and location of the course; the number of CCUs awarded, the signature of an authorized signer, and the accredited provider or program approval number.
         3. (III) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the specified documentation.

      2. (ii) Self-study programs - structured, self-paced programs or courses offered through electronic media (for example, via the internet or on DVD) or on paper (for example, a booklet) completed without direct supervision or attendance in a class.

         1. (I) One contact hour equals 1 CCU.
         2. (II) Documentation must include the name and license number of the licensee; the title, sponsor/provider, date(s), and instructional format of the course; the number of CCUs awarded, the signature of an authorized signer, and the accredited provider or program approval number.
         3. (III) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the specified documentation.

      3. (iii) Regular inservice-type programs over a one-year period where individual sessions are granted 2 CCUs or less.

         1. (I) One contact hour equals 1 CCU.
         2. (II) Documentation must include the name and license number of the licensee; the title, sponsor/provider, date(s), and location of the inservice; the signature of an authorized signer, and the accredited provider or program approval number with the maximum CCUs granted and the CCU value of each session or group of sessions specified and justified.
         3. (III) Additionally, proof of attendance to any or all inservice sessions must be provided so that individual CCUs earned can be calculated by the program sponsor/provider for submission to the board-approved organization.
         4. (IV) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the specified documentation.

      4. (iv) Large conferences with concurrent programming.

         1. (I) One contact hour equals 1 CCU.
         2. (II) Documentation must include the licensee's name and license number; title, sponsor/provider, date(s); and location of the conference; the number of CCUs awarded, the signature of an authorized signer, and the accredited provider or course approval number.
         3. (III) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the specified documentation and proof of attendance.

2. (2) College or university courses.

   1. (A) Courses at regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities easily recognizable as pertinent to the physical therapy profession and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical application, clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk management.

      1. (i) The course must be at the appropriate educational level for the PT or the PTA.

      2. (ii) All courses in this paragraph are subject to the following:

         1. (I) One satisfactorily completed credit hour (grade of C or equivalent, or higher) equals 10 CCUs.
         2. (II) Documentation required for consideration is the course syllabus for each course and an official transcript.
         3. (III) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.
   2. (B) Courses submitted to meet the ethics/professional responsibility requirement must be approved as stated in §341.2 of this chapter (relating to Continuing Competence Requirements).
   3. (C) College or university sponsored CE programs (no grade, no official transcript) must comply with paragraph (1)(A) of this section.
   4. (D) College or university courses that are part of a post-professional physical therapy degree program, or are part of a CAPTE-accredited program bridging from PTA to PT, are automatically approved and are assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization. If selected for audit, the licensee must submit an official transcript.

3. (3) Scholarship.

   1. (A) Publications. Publication(s) pertinent to physical therapy and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical practice, clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk management written for the professional or lay audience. The author(s) are prohibited from self-promotion of programs, products, and/or services in the publication.

      1. (i) The publication must be published within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.

      2. (ii) CCU values for types of original publications are as follows:

         1. (I) A newspaper article (excluding editorials and opinion pieces) may be valued up to 3 CCUs.
         2. (II) A regional/national magazine article (excluding editorials and opinion pieces) may be valued up to 10 CCUs.
         3. (III) A case study in a peer reviewed publication, monograph, or book chapter(s) is valued at 20 CCUs.
         4. (IV) A research article in a peer reviewed publication, or an entire book is valued at 30 CCUs.

      3. (iii) Documentation required for consideration is:

         1. (I) For newspaper articles, a copy of the article and the newspaper banner, indicating the publication date.
         2. (II) For magazine articles and publications in peer reviewed journals, a copy of the article and the Table of Contents page of the publication showing the author's name and the name and date of the publication.
         3. (III) For monographs or single book chapters, a copy of the first page of the monograph or chapter, and the Table of Contents page of the publication showing the author's name and the name and date of the publication.
         4. (IV) For an entire book or multiple chapters in a book, the author must submit the following: title page, copyright page, entire table of contents, preface or forward if present, and one book chapter authored by the licensee.
      4. (iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.

   2. (B) Manuscript review. Reviews of manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications pertinent to physical therapy and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical practice, clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk management.

      1. (i) The review must be completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) One manuscript review is valued at 3 CCUs.

      3. (iii) For each renewal:

         1. (I) PTs may submit no more than 3 manuscript reviews (9 CCUs).
         2. (II) PTAs may submit no more than 2 manuscript reviews (6 CCUs).
      4. (iv) Documentation required for consideration is a copy of the letter or certificate from the publisher confirming completion of manuscript review.
      5. (v) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.

   3. (C) Grant proposal submission. Submission of grant proposals by principal investigators or co-principal investigators for research that is pertinent to physical therapy and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical practice, clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk management.

      1. (i) The grant proposal must be submitted to the funding entity within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) One grant proposal is valued at 10 CCUs.
      3. (iii) Licensees may submit a maximum of 1 grant proposal (10 CCUs).
      4. (iv) Documentation required for consideration is a copy of the grant and letter submitted to the grant-provider.
      5. (v) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.

   4. (D) Grant review for research pertinent to healthcare.

      1. (i) The review must be completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) One grant review is valued at 3 CCUs.
      3. (iii) Licensees may submit a maximum of 2 grant reviews (6 CCUs).
      4. (iv) Documentation required for consideration is a letter or certificate confirming grant review from the grant-provider.
      5. (v) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.

4. (4) Teaching and Presentation Activities.

   1. (A) First-time development or coordination of course(s) in a CAPTE-accredited PT or PTA program, a post-professional physical therapy degree program, or a CAPTE-accredited program bridging from PTA to PT. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) The course must be offered for the first time within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) One student contact hour equals 4 CCUs.

      3. (iii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
      4. (iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the course syllabus indicating the licensee as course coordinator or primary instructor.

   2. (B) First-time development or coordination of course(s) in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university program for other health professions.

      1. (i) The course must be offered for the first time within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) One student contact hour equals 4 CCUs.

      3. (iii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
      4. (iv) Documentation required for consideration is a copy of the course syllabus indicating the licensee as course coordinator or primary instructor.
      5. (v) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.

   3. (C) Presentation or instruction as a guest lecturer in a CAPTE-accredited PT or PTA program, or a post-professional physical therapy degree program, or a CAPTE-accredited program bridging from PTA to PT. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) One student contact hour equals 2 CCUs.

      2. (ii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the course syllabus indicating the licensee as course presenter or instructor.

   4. (D) Presentation or instruction as a guest lecturer in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university program for other health professions.

      1. (i) One student contact hour equals 2 CCUs.

      2. (ii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
      3. (iii) Documentation required for consideration is a copy of the course syllabus indicating the licensee as course coordinator or primary instructor.
      4. (iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.

   5. (E) First-time development, presentation or co-presentation at state, national or international workshops, seminars, or professional conferences, or at a board-approved continuing education course.

      1. (i) The course must be offered for the first time within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) One contact hour equals 4 CCUs.

      3. (iii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs:

         1. (I) PTs may submit no more than 10 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit no more than 8 CCUs for this activity.
      4. (iv) Documentation required for consideration includes one of the following: a copy of a brochure for the presentation indicating the licensee as a presenter; or, a copy of the cover from the program and page(s) indicating the licensee as a presenter.
      5. (v) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.

   6. (F) Service as a clinical instructor for full-time, entry-level PT or PTA students enrolled in accredited education. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) The instructorship must be completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.

      2. (ii) Valuation of clinical instruction is as follows:

         1. (I) Supervision of full-time PT or PTA students for 6-11 weeks is valued at 5 CCUs.
         2. (II) Supervision of full-time PT or PTA students for 12 weeks or longer is valued at 10 CCUs.

      3. (iii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
      4. (iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a letter or certificate from the coordinator of clinical education confirming clinical supervision and the number of hours supervised from the education program.

5. (5) Advanced Training, Certification, and Recognition.

   1. (A) Specialty Examinations. The Board will maintain and make available a list of recognized specialty examinations. Successful completion of a recognized specialty examination (initial or recertification) is automatically approved and assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) The specialty examination must be successfully completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) Each recognized specialty examination is valued at 30 CCUs.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the letter from the certifying body notifying the licensee of completion of the specialty from the credentialing body, and a copy of the certificate of specialization.

      4. (iv) A specialty examination not on the list of recognized examinations but pertinent to the physical therapy profession may be submitted to the board-approved organization for consideration. Documentation required for consideration includes the following:

         1. (I) Identification and description of the sponsoring organization and its authority to grant a specialization to PTs or PTAs;
         2. (II) A complete description of the requirements for specialization including required clock hours of no less than 1,500 completed within the prior 24 months;
         3. (III) A copy of the letter notifying the licensee of completion of the specialty from the certifying body, and a copy of the certificate of specialization.

   2. (B) American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Certification for Advanced Proficiency for the PTA. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) The certification must be successfully completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) Completion of specialty certification is valued at 20 CCUs.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the letter notifying the licensee of completion of the advanced proficiency, and a copy of the certificate of proficiency.

   3. (C) Residency or fellowship relevant to physical therapy. The Board will maintain and make available a list of recognized residencies and fellowships. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) The residency or fellowship must be successfully completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
      2. (ii) Completion of the residency or fellowship is valued at 30 CCUs.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the letter notifying the licensee of completion of the fellowship, and a copy of the fellowship certificate.

   4. (D) Supervision or mentorship of a resident or fellow in an APTA credentialed residency or fellowship program. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) Clinical supervision of residents or fellows for 1 year is valued at 10 CCUs.
      2. (ii) Licensees may submit a maximum of 20 CCUs for this activity.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of a letter from the credentialed residency or fellowship program confirming participation as a clinical mentor, with the length of time served as a clinical mentor.

   5. (E) Practice Review Tool (PRT) of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) Completion of a PRT is valued at 15 CCUs.
      2. (ii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the FSBPT certificate of completion.

6. (6) Professional Membership and Service. Licensees may submit activities in this category for up to one half of their CC requirement (PT - 15 CCUs, PTAs - 10 CCUs) at time of renewal. Licensees must demonstrate membership or participation in service activities for a minimum of one year during the renewal period to receive credit. Credit is not prorated for portions of years.

   1. (A) Membership in the APTA. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) One year of membership is valued at 1 CCU.
      2. (ii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the current membership card.

   2. (B) Service on a board, committee, or taskforce for the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, the APTA (or an APTA component), or the FSBPT. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) One year of service is valued at 3 CCUs.

      2. (ii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs per renewal:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 9 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 6 CCUs for this activity.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of a letter on official organization letterhead or certificate confirming completion of service.

   3. (C) Service as a TPTA Continuing Competence Approval Program reviewer. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) One year of service is valued at 3 CCUs.

      2. (ii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs per renewal:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 6 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 6 CCUs for this activity.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of a letter or certificate confirming completion of service on official organization letterhead.

   4. (D) Service as an item writer for the national PT or PTA exam. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.

      1. (i) One year of service is valued at 5 CCUs.

      2. (ii) Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs per renewal:

         1. (I) PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
         2. (II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
      3. (iii) If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of a letter or certificate confirming completion of service on official organization letterhead.

Source Note:The provisions of this §341.3 adopted to be effective November 11, 1993, 18 TexReg 7552; amended to be effective April 12, 1995, 20 TexReg 2386; amended to be effective May 8, 1996, 21 TexReg 3797; amended to be effective February 13, 2000, 25 TexReg 779; amended to be effective November 16, 2000, 25 TexReg 11288; amended to be effective February 17, 2005, 30 TexReg 717; amended to be effective March 5, 2007, 32 TexReg 1074; amended to be effective June 7, 2009, 34 TexReg 3516; amended to be effective July 21, 2010, 35 TexReg 6286; amended to be effective February 11, 2014, 39 TexReg 651.