LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association
Legislative Update – March 2025

Dear WOTA Members,

I’m pleased to provide an update on WOTA’s ongoing advocacy efforts at the Wisconsin State Capitol. As many of you know, the 2025-2026 legislative session officially kicked off on January 6th, and lawmakers are currently focused on crafting Wisconsin’s biennial state budget, which will remain a primary focus throughout the spring. Despite this, WOTA is hard at work advancing two important policy initiatives aimed at strengthening the occupational therapy profession and improving the care you provide to patients.

Prior Authorization Reform

WOTA is collaborating with legislators to introduce a bill that would streamline the prior authorization process for occupational therapy services. As you are well aware, current prior authorization requirements are often overly burdensome, leading to delays in patient care and adding significant administrative workload to your already busy days. Our proposed reforms will reduce these barriers, ensuring patients have quicker access to the services they need and allowing therapists to focus more on patient outcomes. As in past legislative sessions, we are working with stakeholders to advocate for a prior authorization bill.

Establishing an Independent Occupational Therapy Examining Board

We are also exploring potential legislation to establish an independent Occupational Therapy Examining Board. Occupational therapists currently fall under a joint board structure, which can dilute our profession’s representation and oversight. An independent board would provide greater autonomy and focus for occupational therapists, giving the profession a stronger voice in decisions around licensure, professional standards, and practice regulations. We are working to identify legislative authors for the new 2025 legislative session.

Timeline and Next Steps

While much of the current legislative focus is on passing the 2025-2027 state budget—likely to be finalized by early/late summer—WOTA is laying the groundwork now so that our bills will hopefully be ready for formal introduction. Once the budget is complete, lawmakers typically shift their attention to policy bills, and we aim to have both the prior authorization reform and ideally the independent board legislation front and center for consideration in the second half of 2025.

How WOTA Members Can Help

As the legislative session unfolds and our bills are (ideally) introduced, WOTA members will be crucial advocates in helping us secure legislative support. Lawmakers want to hear directly from constituents—your voices, as practicing occupational therapists, are powerful and persuasive in demonstrating why these changes are needed. We will provide advocacy tools, talking points, and opportunities to engage with legislators in your districts and at the Capitol. Your participation in these efforts can make all the difference in moving these important bills forward.

About Forward Public Strategies

For those I haven’t met yet, I’m Susie Schooff, owner of Forward Public Strategies. Wisconsin based, and with decades of experience as a lobbyist and legislative staffer, I’ve built a reputation for working in a bipartisan, results-driven manner. It’s an honor to represent WOTA and to be your voice in the legislative process.

Thank you for your commitment to the profession and for standing with WOTA in this important advocacy work. Together, we can advance policies that enhance the practice of occupational therapy and improve patient care across Wisconsin.

Sincerely,
Susie Schooff
Owner, Forward Public Strategies
Legislative Representative, WOTA