Jean Polichino,
OTR, MS, FAOTA
Senior Director, School-based Therapy Services, Harris
County Dept. of Education
It has been a very busy year for those
responsible for regulating the practice of occupational therapy (OT) and
physical therapy (PT) in our state. The agency that supports the licensing of
practitioners from both disciplines, the Executive Council for Occupational
Therapy and Physical Therapy Examiners (ECPTOTE, is undergoing the process of
Sunset Review by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. Every state agency must
undergo this process periodically, justifying its existence to commission
members who are tasked with identifying and eliminating waste, duplication and
inefficiency. The ECPTOTE review was in preparation for the 2017 legislative
session, as the Commission must make recommendations to the legislature and
governor whether there remains a compelling reason for Texas taxpayers to
continue to benefit from licensing OTs and PTs, and if so, whether there are
cost-saving measures the state could take in administering the licensing
process.
The
news regarding ECPTOTE is very good! The Sunset Staff Report issued in April
found that licensing of OT and PT practitioners remains an important consumer
protection function for the state of Texas. In their report, they identified the
following issues that are the focus of their recommendations:
§
The requirement for facility
registration, while providing a revenue source for the state, is
unnecessary.
§
The PT and OT statutes unnecessarily
impede therapists from working across state lines.
§
The PT board’s “process for turning its
continuing competence approval program over to the Texas Physical therapy
Association is an inappropriate delegation of its governmental duties.”
§
The OT and PT boards should be
conducting fingerprint-based criminal background checks of licensure applicants
and licensees.
§
The state should continue licensing by
the OT and PT boards under the administration of the ECPTOTE until
2029.
Although there were initial thoughts the OT and PT boards might be
transferred to a much larger umbrella agency supporting many other boards, they
determined that ECPTOTE is efficient and effective in protecting Texas consumers
and administering the licensing process for licensees. Transferring the boards
would be a costly disruption.
The
Texas Sunset Advisory Commission held a public hearing on June 23, 2016 to
discuss the report’s recommendations and hear testimony from the public.
Subsequently, the commission will make recommendations to the legislature when
they convene in January of 2017. For more information about how the Sunset
process works and to read the full report, go to https://www.sunset.texas.gov/ Back to top of Featured Article
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