A Message from APTA Michigan President Brian Gilbert

SB 668, legislation that would have made the most significant advancement and modernization of statutory changes to the practice of physical therapy since 2014, has fallen victim to the dysfunction of the waning days of the legislature. SB 668 needed one final vote by the entire House of Representatives before it could have been presented to the Governor for signature. As has been widely reported over the last several days, the Michigan House was at a standstill because one member boycotted attending session until agreement on a number of her key priorities could be reached. The House needs 56 members to vote on any legislation and with one Democratic member abstaining from session and the entire Republican caucus boycotting session as well (they wanted proposals to amend the minimum wage/tip credit and paid sick leave legislation addressed) there were an insufficient number of members present to pass legislation. The House has adjourned until December 31. APTA-MI, Representative Julie Rogers and APTA-MI’s lobbyist were aggressively advocating for passage of this legislation throughout the entire process. Months of negotiations were invested in crafting a final product that passed the Senate 38-0 and passed out of the House Health Policy with bipartisan support. Political disarray killed a significant number of bills that needed a final House vote and unfortunately SB 668 was simply part of the collateral damage. Also among the 200+ important bills that were supposed to be addressed during the lame duck session were the bills that would allow Michigan to joint the PT Licensure Compact. Unfortunately, all of the bills awaiting action will now need to be re-introduced in the 2025-2026 legislative session.

Representative Julie Rogers deserves our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for her hard work and passion in advocating for SB 668. She was a tremendous advocate. Most individuals don't understand the work that goes on behind the scenes, and I can speak for the work that Representative Julie Rogers has done, most of which will go unnoticed and unappreciated. If you see her, know her, or feel compelled, make sure to thank her for being the 1st PT in Michigan to serve as a legislator and being the ultimate advocate for physical therapy.

As a final note to this information. I want to thank the those that helped us in this fight this year. I am honored to be a part of this profession and to fight for what is right for the people of this State. I believe in what we did this year and it will be our top priority in the coming legislative session. I also want us to start working towards legislative action around payment and reimbursement. We can go farther together than alone. Join the Association and let's do this together with stronger, combined voices. 

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Here's to a better 2025!