Minnesota Agencies

Advises the Commissioner of Health regarding licensing standards, enforcement of licensing statutes, action on licensing applications and disciplinary actions; provide for distribution of information on occupational therapy practitioners licensing standards.

The Minnesota Department of Health was responsible for licensing occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants in Minnesota. The Department first began regulating occupational therapy practitioners in June 1996 with a system of registration. The regulations for registration prohibited the use of protected titles unless education, supervised fieldwork and examination requirements were met and the practitioner registered with the Commissioner of Health. In 2000, the Legislature enacted a licensing law to regulate the practice of occupational therapy. The definition and scope of occupational therapy practice remained the same.

The Occupational Therapy Practitioners Advisory Council was reviewed by the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy (LCPFP) in 2013 as part of their biennial duty required by Minn. Stat. 3.885 Subd. 11. The LCPFP's 2013 Recommendations called for keeping the council.

In 2017 the Minnesota Legislature created the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, which now oversees licensure and regulation of occupational therapists (see Laws of Minn. 2017, 1st Sp. Sess., chap. 6). The same law that created the board eliminated this advisory council.

The seven members include two public members, two occupational therapists, two occupational therapy assistants, and one other credentialed practitioner who works collaboratively with occupational therapy practitioners.