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Committee hears testimony on Occupational Therapy Compact to ease inter‑state licensing
Summary
Representative Rogers testified in favor of House Bill 4,103 to join the interstate Occupational Therapy Compact to improve licensure portability for occupational therapists and assistants; supporters said 31 states have joined and that the compact helps military families and border communities.
Representative Rogers testified in support of House Bill 4,103, which would allow Michigan to join the interstate Occupational Therapy Compact to address licensure portability for occupational therapists and assistants.
Rogers described the compact as authorizing practice in member states based on an "unrestricted home state license" and said the compact covers occupational therapists with master's or doctoral degrees and occupational therapy assistants with associate degrees. She said the bills are reintroductions of previous measures and that the package passed the House Health Policy Committee unanimously. Rogers said interstate compacts ease workforce shortages, especially in underserved areas such as parts of the Upper Peninsula, and cited the compact’s benefits for military families and traveling clinicians.
Committee members asked whether Michigan would need to adopt new rules to join the compact; Rogers answered no and said that other states report the compact streamlines licensing and helps retention of young therapists. The transcript shows advocacy materials and written testimony were provided by organizations including the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association; no roll call on the bill was recorded in the Rules Committee segment.
