OT Licen­sure Com­pact: Con­tact Your Representative

Back­ground

This ses­sion, IOTA was suc­cess­ful in get­ting SF 463, the Occu­pa­tion­al Ther­a­py Com­pact bill passed in the Iowa Sen­ate. This leg­is­la­tion will allow Iowa to enter into an Inter­state Com­pact with oth­er states allow­ing OTs and Occu­pa­tion­al Ther­a­py Assis­tants (OTAs) to prac­tice in all oth­er com­pact mem­ber states – either in-per­son or via tele­health – through a com­pact priv­i­lege, which is equiv­a­lent to a license. This will improve access to health­care pro­vid­ed by OTs.

The OT Com­pact bill unan­i­mous­ly passed the Sen­ate last week, mak­ing it through the first fun­nel, how­ev­er it needs to pass out of Human Resources com­mit­tee in the House by April 2^nd to make it through the sec­ond funnel.

This is where we need your help! We need to ensure Iowa Rep­re­sen­ta­tives on the Human Resources com­mit­tee under­stand Occu­pa­tion­al Ther­a­py and the ben­e­fits of being a part of a com­pact. We need you to call and/​or email your Rep­re­sen­ta­tives and talk to them about the OT com­pact and the pos­i­tive impact it will have on access to health care for Iowans. Please ask for their sup­port of advanc­ing this legislation.

It is imper­a­tive that every leg­is­la­tor hear from an occu­pa­tion­al ther­a­pist who lives in their dis­trict. We need your help to move this for­ward. We can’t do it with­out you!

Next Steps

Take Action!

• Please take 5 min­utes to con­tact your Rep­re­sen­ta­tive about the OT Com­pact SF 463
• Attached is a Fact Sheet and an FAQ on the leg­is­la­tion you can share with your Representative.
• Please ask your co-work­ers to con­tact their leg­is­la­tors with the same message.
• Ask your clinic/​employer to send a let­ter of sup­port to the leg­is­la­tors in the community(s) you serve.

We high­ly encour­age you to per­son­al­ize the email mas­sage with per­son­al expe­ri­ences. This is your oppor­tu­ni­ty to explain the need for this leg­is­la­tion and how your area will be affect­ed. Below are some talk­ing points.

• Ask your Rep­re­sen­ta­tive to sup­port SF 463
• Increas­es access to health­care ser­vices for Iowans
• Sup­ports relo­cat­ing mil­i­tary spouses
• Allows Iowa OTs to prac­tice in com­pact mem­ber states
• Removes the need to get licensed in each com­pact state where an OT wants to practice
• Oth­er com­pacts (PT, psy­chol­o­gy, audi­ol­o­gy) have been immense­ly successful

Find Your Legislators:

Please find their con­tact infor­ma­tion by click­ing below.

Iowa Leg­is­la­ture — Com­mit­tee Information

This bill will pass if you STAY ACTIVE­LY ENGAGED!