State Watch: Iowa O&P State Licensure Bill Advances
RBall
A bill to create a state licensure board in Iowa cleared a major legislative hurdle last week. SF364 (formerly SF226), passed the Senate State Government committee 14-0, and now moves forward for a vote by the full Senate in the coming weeks. Passage was seen as less certain several weeks ago, but legislative leaders agreed to several changes that created the overwhelmingly bipartisan bill, including: adding language detailing who is eligible to sell over-the-counter orthosis and shoes, O&P education programs, residency requirements and a grandfather exemption allowing practice for up to one year before gaining a license. Text of the legislation can be viewed here http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/linc/84/external/sf364_Introduced.pdf