WOTA Legislative Update – June 2025

We’re excited to share that Senator Tomczyk and Representative Wittke are the lead authors of WOTA’s prior authorization reform bill, LRB 2802/1. This legislation proposes practical, targeted reforms to streamline the prior authorization process—reducing treatment delays, easing administrative burden, and ensuring patients have timely access to services like occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and chiropractic care.

One key provision of the bill is to prohibit insurers from requiring prior authorization for the first 12 visits for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and chiropractic care. This change would significantly reduce treatment delays for patients beginning therapy and allow providers to focus on early intervention without administrative barriers.

WOTA is proud to be working as part of a broad coalition of provider organizations, including the American Physical Therapy Association–Wisconsin Chapter, the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association, the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Association. Together, we’re advancing shared goals around patient access and provider efficiency.

While our bill is not tied to the state budget, a significant amount of legislative focus is currently dedicated to passing Wisconsin’s 2025–27 biennial budget—a normal part of the early legislative session. Our advocacy continues in parallel, building support for our standalone bill.

We are currently in the co-sponsorship phase, and legislators have until Friday, June 27th to sign on to LRB 2802/1. After the co-sponsorship period closes, the bill will be formally introduced and referred to committees in both the Assembly and Senate, where we will work toward securing public hearings later this year.

In addition to prior authorization reform, WOTA is also continuing its efforts to establish an independent Occupational Therapy Examining Board—a long-standing goal that supports appropriate regulation and elevates the profession. We are currently working to identify legislative authors to lead on this initiative.

As WOTA’s lobbyist, I’m proud to work alongside our members and leadership to advocate for these critical legislative priorities. Be on the lookout for a call to action in the coming days, asking you to contact your legislators and encourage them to sign on as co-sponsors of LRB 2802/1. Your voice and engagement are essential to our success.

Together, we can advance WOTA’s priorities and ensure occupational therapy continues to grow and thrive in Wisconsin.

— Susie Schooff
WOTA Lobbyist
Forward Public Strategies