Occupational therapy.

Existing law, the Occupational Therapy Practice Act, establishes the California Board of Occupational Therapy for the licensure and regulation of the practice of occupational therapy. Existing law prohibits a person from practicing occupational therapy or working as an occupational therapy assistant under the supervision of an occupational therapist without being licensed under the act. Existing law also prohibits a therapist from supervising more occupational therapy assistants, at any one time, than can be appropriately supervised in the opinion of the board. Existing law prohibits the total number of occupational therapy assistants from exceeding twice the number of occupational therapists regularly employed by a facility at any one time. The act makes a violation of these prohibitions a crime. This bill would increase the limit on the total number of occupational therapy assistants to 3 times the number of occupational therapists regularly employed by a facility at any one time. Existing law repeals the provisions establishing the board on January 1, 2023, and, upon the repeal of those provisions, renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. This bill would extend the operation of the board to January 1, 2027, and would make clarifying organizational changes to the Occupational Therapy Act. Existing law, the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act, authorizes the formation and operation of a professional corporation for the purposes of rendering professional services that existing law requires a specified license, certification, or registration to render, as specified. The act prohibits a professional corporation from rendering professional services in this state without a currently effective certificate of registration issued by the governmental agency regulating the profession in which the corporation is or proposes to be engaged and excepts any professional corporation rendering professional services by persons duly licensed by specified state entities from that requirement. The act authorizes specified healing arts practitioners to be shareholders, officers, directors, or professional employees of a designated professional corporation, subject to certain limitations relating to ownership of shares. This bill would additionally except any professional corporation rendering professional services by persons duly licensed by the California Board of Occupational Therapy. The bill would add licensed occupational therapist to the lists of healing arts practitioners authorized to be shareholders, officers, directors, or professional employees of a medical corporation. The bill would also authorize certain healing arts practitioners, including licensed physicians and surgeons, licensed physical therapists, and licensed occupational therapy assistants, to be shareholders, officers, directors, or professional employees of an occupational therapy corporation, subject to those limitations relating to ownership of shares.