What does legislative intent aim to prevent?

Legislative intent in the context of healthcare professions, including physical therapy, primarily aims to ensure public safety and maintain professional standards. The correct response highlights that the intention is to prevent practitioners who do not meet minimum competency levels or who pose a public danger from practicing. This is crucial because the primary focus of healthcare legislation is to protect patients and ensure that only qualified individuals are providing care.

Using legislative intent to set a foundation for evaluating the competency of therapists serves to uphold standards within the profession, thereby safeguarding public health. This is achieved through licensing, regulation, and oversight mechanisms that ensure therapists maintain their qualifications and adhere to established practices that prevent harm to patients.

The other options fail to align closely with the primary goals of regulatory intent. For instance, excessive regulation, competitive practices, or the establishment of new schools do not directly contribute to the protection of patients or the integrity of the profession in the same manner that addressing competency and safety does. Legislative frameworks are designed with public welfare as the foremost concern, making the focus on practitioner competence the clear priority.