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State Legislative Efforts

MS OT COMPACT LICENSURE BILL - 2023 Legislature Efforts

This year (2023), MSOTA is working with AOTA to introduce HB478, an OT Compact Licensure bill for approval by our state legislators.  We have also obtained the services of a lobbyist to assist with this effort.  On January 19, 2023; our members assisted us in a grassroots effort to contact members of the 2023 Public Health Committee in which the bill was being introduced.  HB478 passed in this committee with no "no" votes!    

This bill was transferred to HB259, approved in the Senate, and signed by the Governor.  Mississippi OT Compact Licensure is expected to be available mid-2024.  

OT Compact License Fact Sheet.  Click here.

Click here to visit the OT Compact website for more information.

OT COMPACT UPDATES:

Thank you for your interest in the Occupational Therapy (OT) Compact. Since its initial convening in August of 2022, the OT Compact Commission has made clear progress toward issuing privileges. The Commission and several of its committees convene monthly, and you can view the meeting dates and materials on the OT Compact website. Recent highlights from each committee include:

  • The Executive Committee has hired Association & Society Management International, Inc. (ASMI) to serve as secretariat. In their capacity as secretariat, ASMI will provide operational support to the commission, including facilitating meetings, applying for grants, and acquiring a data system. ASMI has previous experience serving in a similar capacity for the Emergency Medical Services Compact, so the Executive Committee is confident they will be able to support the OT Compact successfully.

    Amanda Perry will serve as the Executive Director for the Compact. Amanda has more than 20 years of experience working across private, non-profit, and local and international government entities.
  • The Finance Committee has drafted a budget, which the Executive Committee has approved for full commission vote. Adopting a budget will facilitate the Commission’s long-term financial planning.
  • The Rules Committee has drafted a rule on definitions, which the Executive Committee has approved for a full commission vote. The rule on definitions will provide compact member states with guidance in implementing the compact. Before the next full Commission meeting, these rules will be made available for public comment on the website. The Commission will consider all the comments received before the vote to adopt the rule occurs.
  • The Communications Committee has begun planning how to best disseminate information about the compact, including presentations, more website content, and regular communications to interested occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.

As of May 25th, 16 states have introduced the OT Compact in legislative sessions this year. Currently, there are 27 member states in the compact, five of which joined during the 2023 legislative session.

Over the next several months, the secretariat will work with the Compact Commission to secure a database and onboard new member states to the compact. Afterwards, the compact will be able to start granting privileges. We hope that applications for privileges will be open in some states in mid-2024.

For further updates and any questions please visit the OT Compact. Website resources include a Compact Map and FAQ page. I

 MSOTA Legislative Appreciation Day - January 31, 2024

Every year at the beginning of our state legislative session, MSOTA holds Legislative Appreciation Day; it is an opportunity to nurture a valuable relationship with our local legislators and increase awareness of occupational therapy as an integral profession that provides essential services in the fields of medicine, mental health, and education.

Who is invited? All OT/OTA therapists in our state and OT/OTA students and faculty are invited to attend! It’s a great networking experience for all. It would be great to increase attendance from more practitioners. You’re free to invite your colleagues!

How long should we stay? This is a come and go event from 7:30 – 11:30am. Drop by before work or take an early lunch! There’s no need for registration. We like to know who we are expecting from the board and which schools are coming.

What is required?
Find out your voting district and the names of your elected officials. You will have one in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate.
House:
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/h_roster.pdf
Senate:
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/s_roster.pdf
Give them a call 3-5 days before the event to invite them to meet you in the Rotunda. Introduce yourself. We’ll have handouts for you to give out. Tell them about yourself, where you work and how much you love occupational therapy. Thank them for their service. It’s not intimidating at all. They’ll be glad to come shake your hand!