On March 23, 2018: OTP Karla Brown attended the Negotiated Rule Making session with the State
Department of Education to give input from OTPs and IOTA regarding rulemaking that affects OTPs
working in school settings.
There was new wording passed in 2018 Legislature that allows for OT professionals to be hired as
CERTIFICATED STAFF in a school setting. This allows schools districts the option for funding OT positions
with certain designated funds for certificated staff.
The concern was the following statement:
Six (6) semester credit hours are required every five (5) years in order to renew the endorsement.
IOTA contested this requirement as it duplicates our IBOL State Licensure requirements and is not appropriate to our profession. The SDE was very responsive to this
input from OT and other IBOL professionals , such as SLPs and School Counsellors, and agreed to work
with these entities to change the language to be more appropriate for IBOL license holders.
The SDE agreed to receive input from IOTA regarding appropriate CONTINUING EDUCATION
requirements to maintain OT STATUS AS CERTIFICATED STAFF and agree that our Idaho IBOL Licensure
continuing education requirements should suffice, * if they are similar to the total hours recommended
for other certificated positions. IOTA will submit more information so that the rule could be rewritten
for 2019 legislative session. IOTA proposes that if OTP's are CERTIFICATED STAFF in a school district,
that the CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS be only what is required to maintain licensure
through Idaho Board of Occupational Licenses.
ACTION NEEDED :
SEND IBOL AND NBCOT WORDING TO RULE MAKERS. – regarding current licensure requirements for continuing education – IBOL AND NBCOT.