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House approves recreational therapy licensing bill after floor debate over qualifications
Summary
House Bill 4 (Recreational Therapy Licensing) passed the House after members debated whether educational and experience requirements should apply only in medical settings; sponsor said the bill targets medical settings (rest homes, hospitals) rather than community recreation.
The governor added the Recreational Therapy Licensing Act to the special session call; Representative Jay Brent Hayman sponsored House Bill 4 and asked the House to consider it under suspension of rules. Debate on the floor focused on the bill’s educational and experience standards for licensed recreational therapists and whether the language (earlier 'or' vs. 'and') unintentionally relaxed requirements for clinicians.
Representative James and others raised concerns that the bill’s phrasing could impose master's-degree-plus requirements broadly or inadvertently license unrelated recreational roles. Hayman responded that the bill applies to medical contexts — rest homes, hospitals and similar medical settings — and is not intended to affect youth coaches or general recreation staff. He asked colleagues to support correcting a drafting error that had converted required dual qualifications into an 'or' standard.
After discussion and clarification limiting the bill’s application to medical settings, the House voted to pass HB 4 by a tally of 53 yes to 9 no; the bill will be referred to the Senate for further consideration.
