Wisconsin becomes 10th state to enact the OT licensure compact
The governor in Wisconsin signed the occupational therapy licensure compact (OT compact) legislation on February 4, making it the 10th state to enact the legislation. The OT compact is activated once the compact legislation becomes effective in 10 states.
During the 2021 state legislative sessions, AOTA worked with state associations to introduce OT compact legislation in 16 states. Nine states enacted the OT compact legislation in 2021. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed the OT Licensure Compact (SB 412) on February 4. With this bill signed into law, Wisconsin becomes the 10th state to enact compact legislation, which activates the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. Congratulations to the Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association!
The compact legislation creates the Occupational Therapy Compact Commission (OTCC) to implement the licensure compact. Members of the OTCC are appointed by compact member states and may be occupational therapy board members or board or agency staff. To operationalize the compact, the OTCC will elect an executive committee, draft bylaws, and promulgate regulations to implement the compact. The first OTCC meeting is expected to take place in the summer of 2022.
For more information, and a list of states that have enacted and are considering the OT compact, please visit otcompact.gov.
The OT Compact is a joint initiative of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®), with state occupational therapy associations leading legislative initiatives in the states.