House panel advances Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact after technical amendment

The Committee on House Health and Human Services on Feb. 4 heard testimony in favor of House Bill 2533, which would adopt the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact and allow occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants to practice across member states under compact privileges.

Danica Short, an adviser in the Revisor’s Office, summarized the bill’s provisions, including requirements for member states, a compact commission, a coordinated database for licensure and disciplinary information, procedures for joint investigations and adverse actions, and rulemaking authority. Short said the compact becomes effective when it is adopted by the tenth member state and that HB 2533 would take effect on July 1, 2026, after publication in the statute book.

Proponents included Michelle Richard of the Department of Defense State Liaison Office, who said compacts reduce licensure barriers for military service members and spouses; Lieutenant Colonel Keith Marshall of the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office, who said Kansas has made prior moves to expedite licensing for military spouses; William Wilk of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, who urged identical language across states and offered a technical amendment to Article 8 to add the executive committee to term‑of‑office language; Wendy Doyle of United Way, who highlighted workforce benefits for women; and Travis Groherholtz of the Kansas Occupational Therapists Association, who said the compact strengthens workforce and patient access while maintaining protections.

Committee members asked about a fiscal note that lists $65,500 and one new position. Staff and proponents said those costs would likely be fee funded (from the licensing board’s fee fund) rather than from the state general fund, but representatives noted that precise revenue impacts were unknown.

During floor procedure the committee adopted a technical amendment (identified in testimony as the Weichel amendment) to add executive‑committee term language to Article 8, then voted to "work" (advance) and pass HB 2533 out of committee favorably by voice vote.

Because the record does not include roll‑call vote tallies, committee action is recorded as a favorable committee passage with the adoption of a technical amendment. The bill’s effective date was listed in the bill text as July 1, 2026.