R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-40-1

This is the official text of R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-40-1, part of Rhode Island’s Gen. Laws — part of the compiled statutory law of Rhode Island, published by the state as "Gen. Laws." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 5-40-1. Definitions.

Official statutory text

As used in this chapter:

(1) €œBoard€ means the board of physical therapy established by § 5-40-2.

(2) €œDepartment€ means the department of health.

(3) €œDiagnostic imaging€ means techniques used to capture an image of a body part. For purposes of this chapter, diagnostic imaging shall include basic radiological imaging, commonly referred to as x-ray imaging, but shall not include other methodologies such as computer topography scan, ultrasound, bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography scan.

(4) €œExamination€ means an examination approved by the department in consultation with the board.

(5) €œLicense€ means a license issued by the department to practice physical therapy.

(6) €œPhysical therapist€ means an individual who is licensed by the department to practice physical therapy.

(7) €œPhysical therapist assistant€ means an individual who is licensed by the department to assist in the practice of physical therapy under the supervision of a physical therapist.

(8) €œPhysical therapy€ means the care and services provided by or under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist who is licensed pursuant to this chapter.

(9) €œPractice of physical therapy€ means:

(i)(A) Examination, evaluation, treatment, and instruction of patients/clients to detect, assess, prevent, correct, alleviate, and limit physical disability, physical dysfunction, and pain from injury, disease, and any other bodily conditions;

(B) Administration, interpretation, and evaluation of tests and measurements of bodily functions and structures;

(C) The planning, administration, evaluation, and modification of treatment and instruction, including the use of physical measures, activities, and devices, for preventive and therapeutic purposes;

(D) The provision of consultative, educational, and other advisory services for the purpose of reducing the incidence and severity of physical disability, physical dysfunction, and pain; and

(E) Ordering diagnostic imaging and studies that are performed and interpreted by other licensed healthcare professionals pursuant to the provisions of § 5-40-23.

(ii) The practice of physical therapy does not include the practice of medicine as defined in chapter 37 of this title.

(10) €œSupervision€ means that a licensed physical therapist is at all times responsible for supportive personnel and students.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Rhode Island?

Find a Rhode Island lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.