AOTA/NBCOT Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Initiative Update

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) are pleased to share this update from Dan Logsdon from the National Center for Interstate Compacts regarding progress that is being made on the joint AOTA/NBCOT Occupational Therapy Interstate Licensure Compact Initiative.

The Occupational Therapy Interstate Licensure Compact initiative is steadily moving forward to create an occupational licensure compact for the OT profession with support from AOTA and NBCOT.

The Drafting Team for the Occupational Therapy Compact met in late February 2020 to begin writing a draft occupational licensure compact for the OT profession. These discussions were informed by recommendations developed by the project Advisory Group over the course of 4 months beginning in October 2019. The Drafting Team for the Occupational Therapy Compact finalized the draft compact in April 2020 and the document is now ready for stakeholder feedback.

A robust stakeholder review process is crucial for the success of interstate compact development. The Council of State Governments (CSG) will solicit comments on the draft Occupational Therapy Compact for an 8- to 10-week period. The draft compact will be vetted by state licensing boards, state legislators, state legislative staff, state membership organizations, and OT practitioners. The project Drafting Team will analyze the comments received and make changes to the draft compact as warranted.

While we will be reaching out to specific stakeholders, including state regulatory board members/staff, state association leaders, employers, and others, all occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students are stakeholders in this process. You are invited to send comments or questions about the licensure compact to OTCompact@csg.org.

The project team is determined to have a legislative proposal ready for consideration by state legislatures in 2021.

Dan Logsdon
Director, National Center for Interstate Compacts
The Council of State Governments

Check AOTA’s website for more information on the occupational therapy interstate licensure compact, including links to the draft licensure compact language as well as the timeline for the initiative.

Check NBCOT's website for updates on the occupational therapy interstate licensure compact, including links to the draft licensure compact language.

Please let us know if you have any questions.