In this News Brief:
The 2026 Annual Education Meeting is just around the corner! It will be held in Greenville, South Carolina, October 22–24.
The meeting brings together regulators, educators, researchers, and thought leaders to explore issues shaping the future of physical therapy regulation. Keynotes will cover important topics including trauma-informed practices, workforce intelligence, organizational change, and the evolving role of regulation in protecting the public.
If you are a funded attendee, please register using the unique registration link we sent you, if you have not already. Please reach out to communications@fsbpt.org if you have issues finding that link. We encourage everyone else to please register via the event website. We would love to have you join us!
To help prepare for the meeting, please read the 2026 Delegate Handbook, which has information on FSBPT's activities over the past year. (Please note that you must be logged in to access the handbook.) Additionally, visit the FSBPT website for FAQs and more information.
Not able to make it to Greenville? You can still get involved! Register to watch the live-stream of the keynotes and general sessions.
All FSBPT members are welcome to attend the Delegate Workshops and Delegate Assembly. Please login to the FSBPT portal and go to "Events" to register. We look forward to your participation in these important governance activities!
Delegate Workshops Workshop 1: Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 7:00–8:00 p.m. ET Workshop 2: Friday, October 16, 2026, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET
The Delegate Workshops equip delegates and alternate delegates with the information needed to participate effectively in the Delegate Assembly, including procedural guidance, current issues, and discussion of upcoming business.
To provide scheduling flexibility, the workshop is offered twice with identical content. Delegates and alternate delegates may attend either session or both, as schedules permit.
Delegate Assembly Monday, October 19, 2026, 7:00–8:00 p.m. ET
The Delegate Assembly will be conducted virtually. All FSBPT members are welcome to attend; however, participation is mandatory for all Voting Delegates and Alternate Delegates.
Voting Delegates and Alternate Delegates
Please confirm your attendance at the Delegate Assembly by registering for the event. If you are a Voting Delegate and will be unable to attend, please contact FSBPT as soon as possible so voting access and ballots can be provided to your jurisdiction's Alternate Delegate.
The Nominating Committee has put forward the following slate of candidates for election during the Annual Education Meeting, October 22–24. Please read the Candidate Statements to learn more about the candidates. (Please note, Jonathan Bird has recently withdrawn his candidacy for the Director 3 position. The Candidate Statements document has been updated to reflect the current slate of candidates.) The Nominating Committee held a Candidate Forum on July 13 at 7:00 p.m. in conjunction with the 2026 Leadership Issues Forum to introduce 2026 candidates for the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. Members can view the forum recording in the FSBPT Community Portal. There will also be a Candidate Forum in the fall during the Annual Education Meeting Please join FSBPT in thanking the 2026 Nominating Committee Members, Adrienne (Stacy) Price (chair), Bernardine Evans, and Mario Baker for their work this year.
Michelle Sigmund-Gaines Oregon Director 2
Krista Wolfe Pennsylvania Director 3
Justin Berry North Dakota Nominating Committee Member
Susan Gile Kansas Nominating Committee Member
Are you interested in serving on one of the committees below beginning January 1, 2027?
Learn more about these opportunities on our website. To apply, log into the FSBPT Portaland complete the volunteer application (located under "Members Area > Get Involved). Please note that within the FSBPT Membership Volunteer Application, you can also express interest in volunteering for PT Compact and HRRI committees and task forces. Don't see an opportunity that interests you but have ideas you'd like to share? Contact us!
The Healthcare Regulatory Research Institute developed the Cross-Profession Minimum Data Set (CPMDS) to provide a standardized framework for collecting and analyzing workforce data across regulated professions. By establishing common data elements and definitions, the CPMDS helps healthcare professions gather consistent information that can support workforce planning, identify trends, and inform policy decisions.
Standardized workforce data can help answer critical questions about workforce participation, geographic distribution, telehealth adoption, service capacity, and emerging shortages. As more professions and jurisdictions adopt common workforce measures, opportunities grow to better understand workforce trends, compare findings across professions, and support evidence-based regulatory and policy decisions.
The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) recently highlighted the Cross-Profession Minimum Data Set (CPMDS): Social Work, an adaptation of the CPMDS framework. FSBPT appreciates ASWB's leadership and partnership in advancing workforce data collection and analysis and values ongoing collaboration across professions to improve the quality and consistency of workforce information.
Learn more:
FSBPT’s Board of Directors has approved Coursework Tool 7 (CWT 7) and PTA Tool 3, the latest versions of the Coursework Tools used to evaluate the educational equivalence of foreign-educated physical therapists and physical therapist assistants seeking licensure in the United States.
FSBPT developed the Coursework Tools in response to the need for a standardized method of assessing foreign physical therapy education against US entry-level professional degree requirements. Each tool reflects the minimum general and professional educational requirements necessary for substantial equivalence at the time of graduation. Adoption of the Coursework Tools supports greater consistency among jurisdictions and facilitates the mobility of qualified foreign-educated physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
CWT 7 and PTA Tool 3 are based on the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education's (CAPTE) Standards and Required Elements for Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education Programs, adopted October 31, 2023. To provide adequate notice and preparation time for foreign-educated physical therapists and credentialing agencies, FSBPT will implement the new tools on July 1, 2028.
Physical therapy regulatory boards play a critical role in ensuring safe, competent patient care by licensing qualified physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and enforcing standards of ethical conduct as well as state laws and regulations. In 2025, APTA’s House of Delegates voted to approve a new Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession (“Code of Ethics”) drives unity of ethical standards across the profession, provides an easily navigable structure, and sharpens language to increase accountability and guidance on key topics facing today’s physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs). Grounded in the profession’s ethical principles and ethical commitments, the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession’s new structure delineates enforceable standards of conduct and aspirational illustrative examples for PTs and PTAs. While acknowledging the many benefits of unifying and modernizing the Code of Ethics, physical therapy regulatory boards have identified three core challenges with the changes, including enforceability, nomenclature changes, and the potential loss of PT and PTA-focused resources. In May 2026, FSBPT convened the Model Language for a Code of Ethics for Licensing Boards Task Force to assess these challenges and recommend model language and guidance to support physical therapy regulatory boards. The Task Force began its work with the solid foundation of the APTA Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession. Task Force members then discussed regulators’ specific challenges and needs, as well as legal considerations, to develop the guidance and model language outlined in this document. The “Model Language for Standards of Ethical Conduct for Physical Therapy Regulatory Boards” aims to support FSBPT’s members in establishing, refining, and regulating standards of ethical conduct as best suits their jurisdiction and in alignment with the profession’s values, principles, and commitments.
We are accepting presentation ideas and proposals for 2026 and 2027 webinars.
If you have a specific idea, please submit a proposal. However, we are also interested in learning about jurisdictions' experiences with regulatory topics and your general ideas on what issues we should examine. We encourage all board members, administrators, and other stakeholders to share topics and ideas with us. You can also watch webinars and meeting sessions on FSBPT's YouTube Channel to learn what we've recently covered.
The FSBPT Board supports its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. Join the ranks of states, including Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, the Virgin Islands, and West Virginia, that have all taken a big step toward both administrative efficiency and protecting the public. They are currently leveraging FSBPT funding to enhance the ELDD, improve compact privilege implementation, and collect workforce data.
Your jurisdiction should be next! Learn more about how our financial assistance program works to help your jurisdiction. Think this won’t work for your jurisdiction? FSBPT has several ways to make our assistance available under your laws and rules.
FSBPT offers funding to support its member jurisdictions in their mission to protect the public. If you are interested in more information, please send an email to FSBPT's CEO, Susan Newman, summarizing what you would like to have funded and why it is important or how it can improve efficiencies for your board.
We are hosting multiple upcoming webinars within the FSBPT Portal, allowing you to easily access member resources, groups, and events all in one place! Be sure to register for these upcoming webinars:
October 2026 Regulatory Hour: Dale Atkinson Regulation of the Professions - Governance Structures October 6, 4:00 p.m. ET
November 2026 Regulatory Hour: Jennifer Semko November 17, 4:00 p.m. ET (Tentative)
December 2026 Regulatory Hour: Dale Atkinson Year in Review - Significant Legislative & Judicial Decisions December 15, 4:00 p.m. ET
To register, please log in to the FSBPT Portal, select "Events," and click on the event you'd like to register for.
Each month, we will focus on a different statute section from the Model Practice Act and its accompanying commentary. For 2026, the Model Practice Act Moment will focus on Article 3: Examination and Licensure. Last year, in 2025, we covered one of the twelve sections under Article 4: Regulation of Physical Therapy each month. Learn more by reading the Model Practice Act.
[3.08 Fees] This is optional statutory language for jurisdictions requiring maximum fee ceilings within their statutes. The board shall establish and collect fees not to exceed: 1.________ dollars for an application for an original license [or certificate]. This fee is nonrefundable. 2.________ dollars for a certificate of renewal of a license [or certificate]. 3.________ dollars for an application for reinstatement of a license [or certificate]. 4.________dollars for each duplicate license [or certificate]. 5. ________dollars for other administrative fees [e.g., criminal records report, pass through or processing fees]
Commentary This is optional language to use if fee ceilings or ranges are required in statute rather than being addressed in rules. Using this model, a ceiling for fees would be established in statute, and the actual fees would be established in rules. The language here sets the same dollar amount for licenses and certificates in the different categories. The fees for licensees and certificate holders could easily be established at different amounts in rules for each of the categories.
Optional for PT Compact Members 6.________dollars for each compact privilege.
Regulatory boards are uniquely positioned to lead the collection of healthcare workforce data, and leveraging such data can improve public protection and healthcare planning. This article is based on a presentation at the 2025 Annual Education Meeting by Michelle Sigmund-Gaines, Missy Anthony, Jennifer Garrett, Jason Kaiser, and Nancy Kirsch.
This month, we thank our generous volunteer members for their support of our mission.
FSBPT provides the following links for your education and awareness, but does not endorse the content.
"India's high-stakes exam system faces a crisis of trust," September 6, 2026, Nikita Yadav, BBC
"In June, more than two million students had to retake a crucial medical entrance examination after the paper was leaked. The fallout triggered weeks of youth-led protests which eventually led to the resignation of the federal education minister. In response, the government appointed a high-level task force led by tech tycoon Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms and restore confidence in the examination system. For many Indians, however, the announcement prompted a sense of déjà vu. A similar panel was established in 2024 after irregularities in another medical entrance examination sparked widespread unrest. That committee proposed more than 100 reforms, a little over half of which have reportedly been fully implemented."
“What the AI Doom Debate Misses,” September 23, 2026, Today, Explained
“According to a recent NBC News/Decision Desk poll, 70 percent of adults say they are personally more worried than excited about the technology; it’s basically underwater in every area of society with one notable exception: its use in scientific research and medicine. According to Dr. Dhruv Khullar, a physician at Weill Cornell Medicine and writer at the New Yorker, that optimism is well-founded. Khullar uses AI tools in his own practice as a physician and writes about their advancements in the medical field. He says that ‘right now, at least, there’s a generally optimistic view of how AI will change healthcare going forward.’”
"Landsman Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Keep AI from Making Health Care Decisions," September 1, 2026, Greg Landsman Press Release
"Today, Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Congressman Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Congresswoman Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), and Congressman Tom Barrett (R-MI-07) introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent artificial intelligence from making health care decisions that should be made by qualified health care professionals."
"An Economic Analysis of "The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong," November 15, 2025, Donald Balasa, JD, MBA, ICE-CCP
"I am largely in agreement with Professor Allensworth’s arguments in The Licensing Racket. Her solutions for instances of inequity and inefficiency in the current American licensing system have merit, especially her support of public members on licensing boards. Given my concentration in economics during my MBA studies at the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago, her arguments about the undesirable effects of overregulation are consistent with my position on barriers to occupational entry and their subsequent effect on price. That said, I disagree with some of her conclusions. The purpose of this analysis is to explain my points of disagreement."
Members of the board of directors serve as liaisons to multiple jurisdictions.
Stephen Curley Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia
Craig Miller Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah
David Relling Hawaii, New Jersey, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Virgin Islands
Steven Scherger Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas
Michelle Sigmund-Gaines Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
Michele Thorman Delaware, District of Columbia, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin
Krista Wolfe Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Charles E. Reiter The public member of the board does not serve as a liaison to jurisdictions
FSBPT’s Board of Directors wants members to know staff is available to assist any jurisdiction with writing statutory or regulatory language. When you are crafting new laws or regulations/rules, especially involving FSBPT products such as the NPTE or Coursework Tool, or controversial topics such as dry needling, FSBPT is a resource to remember!
Each month, we highlight an FSBPT staff member or volunteer and share how their role supports our mission of protecting the public. Sean F. Griech, PT, DPT, PhD, brings a strong spirit of service to his work as a 2026 Item Writer Coordinator. An associate professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at DeSales University, Sean combines more than two decades of outpatient clinical experience with a deep commitment to education, ethics, and public protection. For more than ten years, Sean has contributed to examination development as an item writer, an examination development committee member, and Item Writer Coordinator. His work supports the quality and relevance of the National Physical Therapy Examination and helps ensure that licensure standards continue to protect the public. As a clinician, educator, scholar, and volunteer, he exemplifies the dedication and expertise that strengthen FSBPT’s mission. Thank you, Sean, for your continued service to FSBPT and dedication to our public protection mission.
Susan L. Newman, CEO
Subject
Point of Contact/Email Address
ADA accommodations
Christine Sousa, ext. 201
Assessment or examination development questions
Tara Myers, PhD npte@fsbpt.org
Continuing competence
Jeffrey M. Rosa, ext. 239
Credentials review
Jaime Nolan, FCCPT
ELDD- Exam, Licensure and Disciplinary Database participation
eldd@fsbpt.org
Exam registration processing
Foreign educated issues
Leslie Adrian, ext. 233
Immigration
Jaime Nolan, ext. 403
JAM- Jurisprudence Assessment Module
communications@fsbpt.org
Legislation or Model Practice Act
Meeting arrangements
Paul Delaney, ext. 223
NPDB reports/questions
Angela Burnham, 249
PTC- Physical Therapy Compact
compact@fsbpt.org
PEAT®- Practice Exam & Assessment Tool
peat@fsbpt.org
Reimbursement of expenses and other financial matters
David Sigman, ext. 226
School reports
schoolreports@fsbpt.org
Score transfer & reporting
SCP PET- Supervised Clinical Practice Performance Evaluation Tool
scppet@fsbpt.org
Security issues
Richard Woolf rwoolf@fsbpt.org
Anything else, including news to share with members
Susan Newman Caitlin Jennings Communications@fsbpt.org