NC H536

Amends the definition of physical therapy to require treatment methods conform to both education/training standards and prevailing practice standards, and updates accreditation references from the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Changes the nominating organization for Board of Physical Therapy Examiners appointments from the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association, Inc. to the American Physical Therapy Association North Carolina (APTANC), and removes the "successive" requirement for the three missed Board meetings that can trigger member removal.

Expands disciplinary authority by incorporating the American Physical Therapy Association's Code of Ethics as a standard, adding new grounds for discipline including conduct that could harm the public and ethics violations, and modifying criminal conviction provisions to apply to felonies or misdemeanors subject to G.S. 93B-8.1.

Updates license renewal period from "during the month of January" to November 1 through January 31, requires licensee email addresses be kept on record, and expands the referral requirement from "licensed medical doctor or dentist" to any "appropriate healthcare professional."

Eliminates the "Physical Therapist Graduate" provisional practice authorization for new graduates awaiting licensure and creates a new exemption for applicants completing clinical practice requirements or remediation under Board-approved supervision; effective October 1, 2025.