Helen Geoffroy

The Board meeting commenced with the welcoming and introduction of five newly appointed Board members. Key actions included the nomination and subsequent election of Ada Boone Hoerl as the new Board Secretary. The Board also reviewed and approved the minutes from the May 23, 2025, and June 12-13, 2025, meetings (with a minor spelling correction for one set of minutes). The Practice Committee reported on a discussion regarding reducing supervised training hours for advanced practice approval in swallowing. The Ad-Hoc Sunset Review Committee received approval for Sections 1 and 3 of its report after minor edits were presented. The Board voted to initiate a rulemaking package to amend Disciplinary Guidelines (Section 4147) regarding cost recovery terms in stipulated settlements. The Board also discussed the necessity and budgeting for a California-specific occupational analysis to comply with state law, and reviewed legislative updates, including positions on several Assembly and Senate Bills. Finally, the Executive Officer provided updates on fiscal performance, BreEZe system changes, and licensing/enforcement data.

The primary focus of the meeting was the discussion, review, and vote on the Draft Sunset Report, which included numerous requested edits regarding clerical errors, fee structure footnotes, and changes to testing center nomenclature (Prometric to Pearson Professional Assessments). The Board also discussed the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Occupational Therapy (OT) and agreed to schedule a future presentation on the topic. Key financial and regulatory actions included voting to approve proposed language to amend Business and Professions Code Sections concerning fee structures. Additionally, the Board initiated an Ad Hoc Committee on the OTA Workforce to address a 2021 study and voted to elect officers for the upcoming term, including the President, Vice President, and Secretary. The Practice Committee's recommendation to reduce education and supervised training hours for Advanced Practice in Hand Therapy was also considered, focusing on reducing contact hours from 45 to 8 and supervised training from 480 to 80 hours, as subject areas 1-5 are now covered by ACOTE standards but subject area 6 is not.

The Board meeting included a call to order, roll call, and establishment of a quorum. The Board President welcomed attendees and explained the agenda, which included Closed Session deliberations regarding the employment and/or appointment of an Executive Officer. There were no Board member remarks or public comments for items not on the agenda. The Board convened in closed session and immediately adjourned following its conclusion.

The board meeting included discussions on public comments regarding the impact of AI on Occupational Therapy, a review of the November 6, 2025 board meeting minutes, and a discussion and vote on the draft Sunset Report. The meeting also covered a report from the Practice Committee, an update on the Continuing Education Audit Process, and an update on the Board's 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. Additionally, there was a discussion and possible action to initiate a rulemaking package to amend disciplinary guidelines, a discussion on conducting a California-specific occupational analysis, and legislative and regulatory updates.

The California Board of Occupational Therapy convened a meeting to discuss several key issues. The board welcomed and congratulated the new Executive Officer (EO). They reviewed and approved the minutes from previous meetings in December 2024, January 2025, February 2025 and March 2025 with some changes. The Ad Hoc Disaster Preparedness and Response Committee was sunsetted, and ongoing efforts were moved to the Education and Outreach committee. The Practice Committee focused on Hand Therapy education requirements. A rulemaking package was considered to amend regulations regarding Hand Therapy and Physical Agent Modalities (PAMs). The board discussed the American Occupational Therapy Association's (AOTA) Practice Framework Document. The board also discussed a fee increase and voted to approve the proposed regulatory text for Section 4130. The board also discussed and took action to initiate a rulemaking package to amend California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 39, Article 7, Section 4161, Continuing Competency. The Board's 2025 Action Plan was reviewed. The board also received regulatory and legislative updates. The Practice Committee gave a report that included highlights from the July 11, 2025, Practice Committee Meeting.