To the Board of Medicine:

I am writing to express my concerns about the proposal to amend the occupational therapy regulations related to Inactive licensure (18 VAC 85-80-72) and Reinstatement (18 VAC 85-80-80). I encourage the Board to engage in a dialog with the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Virginia Occupational Therapy Association to put in place regulations that are not too onerous for occupational therapy practitioners, but that also protect the public. Requiring someone seeking to rejoin the profession whose license has been lapsed for only 2 years to show a current NBCOT certification or retake the exam is a lot to ask of someone who might be switching jobs after working in another state or recovering from an illness or family emergency. As an OT student, graduating in May, I look forward to practicing in my home state. The proposed changes may encourage me to look at other states for employment to ensure that I will be able to meet the requirements to keep my license should it lapse for any reason. Thank you for your consideration