Manley Advances Occupational Therapist Measure, Clarifying Licensing Rules for Critical Profession

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As part of her efforts to ensure residents can access the professional care they deserve, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, advanced an initiative of the Illinois Association for Behavior Analysis last week to clarify and strengthen state rules regarding occupational therapists.

“Currently, occupational therapists cannot own and operate applied behavioral analyses companies,” Manley said. “This measure is a series of changes that will clarify the intent of existing law and ensure our licensed professionals are able to deliver the care we need.”

The Manley-led Senate Bill 712 impacts licensed behavioral analysis in the following ways:

• Adding “occupational therapists” to the existing list of other practitioners who can perform or advertise activities considered to be the practice of applied behavioral analyses;

• Clarifying that members or agents of a behavior analysis services organization must be themselves personally licensed if involved in clinical care decisions;

• Exempting nonprofits, public schools and charter schools from unnecessary and unintended ownership requirements; and

• Updating additional definitions in state statute.

Senate Bill 712 passed the House Health Care Licenses Committee with bipartisan support. For more information, please contact repmanley@gmail.com.

Rep. Manley speaks in a committee hearing last week in Springfield.