Report from the 2025 APTA HOD

Summary of the 2025 APTA House of Delegates

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) House of Delegates (HOD) is the Association’s
principal policy-making body. Delegates from chapters, sections, academies, and councils gather
annually to deliberate and vote on motions that direct APTA’s vision, values, and professional
priorities. Once adopted, these decisions guide the APTA Board of Directors and staff as they
implement strategies, develop resources, and influence external policy to advance the physical
therapy profession.

In July 2025, the HOD reviewed 41 motions on topics spanning ethics, scope of practice,
governance, education, payment, and workforce sustainability. One major outcome was the
unification of the PT and PTA Codes of Ethics into a single document (RC01-25), reaffirming
shared professional values. The House also supported language recognizing the role of physical
therapists in behavioral and mental health care (RC09-25), and approved a critical amendment
to allow physical therapists to order and interpret laboratory tests (RC30-25), confirming that
these services fall within the professional scope of practice for physical therapists. This positions
PTs to expedite care through better collaboration and timely access to necessary diagnostics in
appropriate contexts.

Other highlights included the adoption of a new Primary Care Physical Therapy specialization
(RC17-25) and motions reinforcing APTA’s advocacy for improved payment structures (RC40-25).
Some proposals—such as granting student voting rights (RC02-25) and integrating telehealth
education into DPT curricula (RC12-25)—were defeated, though the dialogue reflected evolving
perspectives across the profession. Through robust debate and collaboration, the HOD
continues to shape the profession’s direction, operationalized by APTA leadership and staff in
service to members and the communities they serve.

For those interested in exploring the work of the House in greater depth, the Motion Summary
Table provides the status of each motion, while the Motion Binder offers detailed descriptions
of all motions brought forward for consideration.