Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact And Criminal History Checks
A therapist from another state could soon treat you without starting from scratch
Alaska’s House passed a bill to join the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, letting out-of-state OTs and OT assistants practice here after passing an FBI fingerprint check.
Alaska is moving to join a multi-state compact that would let occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants licensed in other member states practice in Alaska without repeating the full licensure process. Every applicant would need to submit fingerprints for a state and national FBI criminal history record check. The bill, which passed the Alaska House 40-0, also expands fingerprint requirements to physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, audiologists, and speech-languag
- Alaska is joining the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, creating a 'compact privilege' that lets OTs and OT assistants licensed in other member states practice in Alaska.
- Applicants for the compact privilege must submit fingerprints and pay fees to the Alaska Department of Public Safety for a state criminal justice check and a national FBI criminal history record check.
- Criminal history information obtained through the fingerprint check may only be used to determine an applicant's qualifications and fitness for the compact privilege. It cannot be repurposed for other investigations.
- The bill also requires national criminal history record checks for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists, and creates a new executive administrator position for the state board.
- The bill passed the Alaska House 40-0 on May 12, 2025, with no recorded opposition.
A bill moving through the Alaska Legislature would let occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants from other states practice in Alaska without repeating the full licensure process. But there is a catch: every applicant would have to submit fingerprints for a federal background check first.
The legislation would bring Alaska into the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, a multi-state agreement that creates a 'compact privilege.' That privilege lets qualified therapists licensed in one member state work in another without starting from scratch. The application would require fingerprints and fees to be sent to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which would run both a state criminal justice check and a national FBI criminal history record check.
Why the compact matters for Alaska
For many Alaskans, especially in rural and remote communities, the nearest occupational therapist can be a plane ride away. Filling an open position often takes months. The compact is designed to shrink that distance by removing a structural barrier: the need to navigate a new state's licensure process from the ground up.
The fingerprint requirement is a key part of the deal. It sets a higher bar than a standard license transfer, giving the state a federal-level criminal history check on every applicant. The compact does not guarantee therapists will come to Alaska, but it removes a hurdle that has long slowed the pipeline from the Lower 48.
How the background check would work
The compact privilege is not automatic. An occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant licensed in another member state would need to apply and submit fingerprints along with the required fees. The State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board, which oversees licensing for these professions, would forward the fingerprints and fees to the Department of Public Safety to obtain the reports.
The bill includes a strict limit on how that information can be used. Criminal history data obtained through the fingerprint check could only be used to determine an applicant's qualifications and fitness for the compact privilege. It could not be repurposed for other investigations. The application process would be defined in a new section of Alaska law, creating a clear statutory framework for something that was previously unavailable in the state.
More than just occupational therapists
While the occupational therapy compact is the headline change, the bill is broader. It would also require national criminal history record checks for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists. The legislation would also create a new executive administrator position for the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board, giving it additional administrative capacity to handle compact privilege applications and other licensing work.
What occupational therapists could do under the bill
The bill also spells out the scope of practice for occupational therapists in Alaska. They could evaluate, analyze, and diagnose limitations that affect a person's ability to participate in daily activities, work, play, or leisure. They could provide therapy without a referral from another health care provider. Their services could include treating pain, rehabilitating physical and cognitive functions, helping people safely perform daily living activities, designing and fitting assistive devices, and training people to use adaptive or prosthetic equipment.
Occupational therapists could also supervise occupational therapy assistants, who could help administer therapy and assist with patient assessments under the therapist's supervision.