Representative Thompson presented House Bill 81, an interstate licensure compact for occupational therapists, describing it as analogous to the earlier compact discussed for speech and audiology professionals. The sponsor and committee experts said the bill is intended to ease licensing barriers and improve access to occupational therapy across New Mexico.

Linda Siegel (Council of State Governments expert, represented on Zoom) and members of the New Mexico Occupational Therapy Association testified in support. Jessica Salazar, legislative chair for the New Mexico Occupational Therapy Association, said, “we need to increase the number of occupational therapy practitioners within New Mexico.” JD Bullington of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Alan Sanchez of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops also testified in favor.

Melissa Salazar of the Regulation and Licensing Department again warned that the agency’s fiscal impact report includes an operating budget request that was not part of the department’s original budget; she said an appropriation or authorization will be needed if the bill passes. Kelly Mae Douglas of the Department of Defense provided recorded support, saying compacts improve career sustainability for military spouses.

Committee members agreed to adopt technical language changes similar to those discussed for the previous compact: adding statutory background‑check authority where the occupational therapy board statute does not currently provide it, to meet compact requirements. The committee directed staff to prepare a committee substitute incorporating the adopted amendment; no committee roll‑call vote on final passage of HB81 was taken at this hearing.

Public commenters supporting the bill included representatives of the University of New Mexico, Los Alamos County, NMOTA, and other stakeholder organizations. Committee staff will return a committee substitute to the committee for formal action.