House Bill 20-1230 Summary

• Extends the sunset date for the Occupational Therapy Practice Act from September 1, 2020 to September 1, 2030, allowing continued licensing of occupational therapists and assistants in Colorado.

• Expands the definition of occupational therapy practice to include behavioral health care services, telehealth/telerehabilitation services, low vision rehabilitation, sensory-based interventions, and services to groups and populations.

• Adds new definitions for key terms including "client," "occupation," "functional cognition," and "behavioral health care services" to modernize the regulatory framework.

• Clarifies that occupational therapists may make occupational therapy diagnoses within their scope of practice and allows qualified out-of-state therapists to provide services on behalf of temporarily absent licensed therapists.

• Adds new grounds for discipline including failure to maintain proper client records, health insurance abuse, and fraudulent insurance acts; reorganizes and streamlines disciplinary procedures and notice requirements.