Senate approves R$ 4,800 floor for physiotherapy professionals

The Senate Economic Affairs Committee approved this Tuesday (30) a bill that establishes a national floor for physiotherapy and occupational therapy professionals, in the amount of R$ 4,800.

Estimates indicate that the minimum for the categories will have a total impact of BRL 1.8 billion, of which BRL 512 million will have to be borne by the public sector. The project does not indicate where the resources will come from.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the members of the commission, with 16 votes in favor and none against. Therefore, it does not need to be voted on in plenary and can go straight to the Chamber of Deputies — unless a senator presents a request requesting a vote by all senators.

The approved project changes the legislation that defined the workload for the two categories, now providing for a minimum amount to be paid throughout the national territory for the 30-hour workday.

The rapporteur of the proposal, Senator Romário (PL-RJ), decided to refuse amendments that provided for an increase in the value of the floor. He decided to keep the R$4,800 provided for in the original text by the author Angelo Coronel (PSD-BA), so that the minimum would be equal to the minimum provided for nurses, of R$4,750.

Romário argued in his report that the establishment of a national floor for the categories aims to attract new talent to these professions and prevent professionals from migrating to other areas.

Studies by the Senate consultancy indicate that the measure will have an impact of approximately R$ 1.8 billion. Of this total, R$ 512.2 million would burden the public sector; R$ 669.4 million, the non-profit private sector; and R$684.8 million to the for-profit private sector.

“We are creating these expenses without pointing to a source of funds. This is serious, it can generate problems”, said Senator Oriovisto Guimarães (Podes-PR), who said that he would not ask for views to obstruct the vote and that he would vote in favor, but that would bring “uncomfortable truths”.

Oriovisto added that there are chances that the project will be vetoed by Jair Bolsonaro (PL) or even questioned in court, as it conflicts with other legislation, such as the Fiscal Responsibility Law.

The rapporteur of the proposal, as well as Oriovisto, suggested in his text that the issue should also be addressed through a PEC (Proposal to Amend the Constitution), similar to what happened with the nurses’ floor. This, he argues, would strengthen the measure from a political point of view.

The bill providing for the floor for nurses had been approved by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, but it was not even sent for sanction by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Parliamentarians assessed at the time that the proposal could be vetoed or even questioned in court. That’s why they started the process of a PEC on the subject, to insert the floor in the Constitution.

The text also argues that physiotherapy and occupational therapy are important for the Brazilian economy, because they treat people with disabilities and others with temporary incapacity for work.

“After all, we have discussed the social security system here at CAE in recent years, motivated by a process of population aging that occurs more quickly than in other countries. This demographic transition will demand precisely more from this type of professional”, says the rapporteur. .

Romário also argues that the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of these professionals, helping to reduce the time for patients to return to daily and productive activities.

The National Congress approved in recent months the national floor for nursing professionals and also for community health workers. However, parliamentarians are still looking for ways to finance this minimum amount for the categories.

One of the bets of parliamentarians to finance the nurses’ salary, for example, is the approval of the bill that allows gambling in the country, which increases tax collection in the country. The proposal has already been approved by the Chamber of Deputies and is stalled in the Senate. There are chances that it will be put to a vote in the “window of opportunity” between the end of the elections and the end of the year.