Virtual - 13 April 2024

In-person in Kansas City at the APTA Leadership Congress - 11/23 July 2024

All APTA members have the opportunity to vote for delegates in their state chapter or section academy. These elected individuals speak and vote on behalf of the interests of their constituents (the APTA members of their state chapter or section academy). 

Smaller meetings among delegates occur constantly throughout the year to determine the most important issues to their constituents and create motions based on these interests. These meetings can consist of delegates from one or multiple state chapters and/or section academies. Delegates will also meet within their own state chapter or section academy throughout the year to discuss thoughts and opinions brought to their attention by their constituents. 

The House of Delegates (sometimes just called "House" or "the House") is when the delegates from ALL states and sections get together to formally vote on the motions created at the smaller meetings held throughout the year. Motions that are adopted (get enough "yes" votes) are used by the APTA Board of Directors, lobbyists, and other advocates when making decisions on where to spend their time and financial resources. 

Listed below are some common types of motions and how they're used. 

Adopt/Statement: A statement that identifies a stance or priority of APTA. When a statement is adopted, it indicates that a large portion of the profession supports it. Any PT or PTA can use it to support their advocacy efforts. The APTA Board of Directors also uses statements to guide their decision-making and allocation of resources. 

Charge: The House (representing all APTA members) tasks the Board of Directors with allocating time and financial resources to a specific project. 

Election: Selects individuals to fill specific roles, such as the Board of Directors or honorary APTA memberships for strong allies that are not PTs or PTAs. 

Amend: Changes or modifies any of the above types of motions. Often used as language evolves over time, technology advances, or cultural norms change. One example would be to add the consideration of AI to previous motions regarding digital health technologies or telehealth. 

Rescind: A statement that identifies a prior motion is no longer supported. This does not necessarily mean the essence of a motion is no longer supported, as there can be situations where the language of a previous motion just no longer works. For example, a motion about appropriate practices for paper record keeping could be deemed irrelevant or no longer best practice in light of today’s technological advancements. In this case, best practice for documentation is still supported but specific recommendations are very different due to a cultural shift and technological advancement. 

There are 48 motions under consideration for the 2025 House of Delegates. Motion topics include: 

• Updates to the Code of Ethics
• Providing voting rights to the Student Engagement Group Delegates
• Granting physical therapist assistant members the right to serve as Director to the Association
• Clarification of term limits and tenure on the APTA Board of Directors
• Recognizing Primary Care Physical Therapy as an area of clinical specialization
• Clarifying the role of physical therapists and APTA in behavioral and mental health
• Establishing a plan for artificial intelligence and digital health integration in the physical therapy profession
• Financial transparency of physical therapy education programs
• Rescinding opposition to physician ownership of physical therapist services and self-referral by physicians

• Reach the delegation any time using the link on the Meet Your Delegation page of this website and let us know what your biggest concerns are. This helps us determine which motions we should promote for taking to the House. 
• Attend the virtual Town Hall, where the delegates will share information about some of the motions that are going to the House. This is a good space to ask how this motion could potentially impact you and your specific area of practice, then share if you think this would result in a positive or negative change for you. Keep an eye on your email for information on the next Town Hall. 
• Share what you've learned with other clinicians or students in your company or program, so they also have the opportunity to have their voice heard.