Assembly BillChaptered/SignedBusiness and Professions
AB 2773: California Board of Occupational Therapy: licensing: fees.
What AB 2773 does, verified September 17, 2026
<p>The bill amends sections related to occupational therapy licensing in California. It extends the establishment of the California Board of Occupational Therapy until January 1, 2031, requiring the board to meet at least three times a year, with one meeting each in northern and southern California.</p> <p>It also updates requirements for applicants seeking licensure as an occupational therapist or assistant, mandating that their educational institution be accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Applicants must complete a supervised entry-level doctoral capstone experience approved by ACOTE-accredited institutions.</p> <p>The bill requires licensees and applicants to provide their email addresses to the board and mandates the board to remind them of this obligation. Additionally, it sets a limited pe…
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
✓GovernorComplete
6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 218, Statutes of 2026. (2026-09-15)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions24 total · showing 5
| Sep. 15, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 218, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep. 15, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Aug. 28, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 24, 2026 | In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. |
| Aug. 24, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.). |
Latest bill textChaptered version, September 14, 2026 · 1,638 words
Assembly Bill No. 2773
CHAPTER 218
An act to amend Sections 2570.4, 2570.16, and 2570.19 of, and to add Section 2570.40 to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.
[ Approved by Governor September 14, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State September 14, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2773, Committee on Business and Professions. California Board of Occupational Therapy: licensing: fees.
Existing law, the Occupational Therapy Practice Act, establishes the California Board of Occupational Therapy for the licensure and regulation of the practice of occupational therapy. Existing law requires the board to meet and hold at least one regular meeting annually in the Cities of Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Existing law repeals the provisions establishing the board on January 1, 2027, and, upon the repeal of those provisions, renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.
This bill would extend the provision establishing the board to January 1, 2031, and would, instead, require the board to meet at least 3 times a year, meeting at least once each calendar year in northern California and once each calendar year in southern California.
This bill would require an applicant or licensee to provide the board with their electronic mail address and would require the board to remind licensees and applicants of their obligation to report and keep current their electronic mail address, as provided.
Existing law requires the board to establish certain fees, which are deposited into the Occupational Therapy Fund, including a limited permit fee.
This bill would limit the limited permit fee to $125 and would require the board to establish a license fee for a pocket card, a duplicate wall certificate, and a letter of good standing, endorsements, or verification of licensure, as provided.
Existing law specifies that the Occupational Therapy Practice Act does not prevent or restrict the practice, services, or activities of, among others, any person pursuing a supervised course of study leading to a degree or certificate in occupational therapy at an accredited education program, as provided.
This bill would require the educational program to be accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The bill would specify that these provisions do not prevent or restrict the practice, services, or activities of any person completing a supervised entry-level doctoral capstone experience, as provided.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 2570.4 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:2570.4.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as preventing or restricting the practice, services, or activities of any of the following persons:(a) Any person licensed or otherwise recognized in this state by any other law or regulation when that person is engaged in the profession or occupation for which they are licensed or otherwise recognized.
(b) Any person pursuing a supervised course of study leading to a degree or certificate in occupational therapy at an American Occupational Therapy Association’s Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)-accredited educational program, if the person is designated by a title that clearly indicates their status as a student or trainee.
(c) Any person fulfilling the supervised fieldwork experience requirements of subdivision (d) of Section 2570.6, if the experience constitutes a part of the experience necessary to meet the requirement of that provision.
(d) Any person completing a supervised entry-level doctoral capstone experience as part of the requirements for obtaining an occupational therapy doctorate degree from an ACOTE-accredited educational institution.
(e) Any person performing occupational therapy services in the state if all of the following apply:
(1) An application for licensure as an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant has been filed with the board pursuant to Section 2570.6 and an application for a license in this state has not been previously denied.
(2) The person possesses a current, active, and nonrestricted license to practice occupational therapy under the laws of another state that the board determines has licensure requirements at least as stringent as the requirements of this chapter.
(3) Occupational therapy services are performed in association with an occupational therapist licensed under this chapter, and for no more than 60 days from the date on which the application for licensure was filed with the board.
(f) Any person employed as an aide subject to the supervision requirements of this section.
SEC. 2.
Section 2570.16 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:2570.16.
Initial license and renewal fees shall be established by the board in an amount that does not exceed a ceiling of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) per year. The board shall establish the following additional fees:(a) An application fee not to exceed fifty dollars ($50).
(b) A late renewal fee as provided for in Section 2570.10.
(c) A limited permit fee not to exceed one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125).
(d) A pocket card fee not to exceed fifty dollars ($50).
(e) A duplicate wall certificate fee not to exceed fifty dollars ($50).
(f) A fee for a letter of good standing, endorsements, or verification of licensure not to exceed fifty dollars ($50).
(g) A fee to collect fingerprints for criminal history record checks. This fee shall not exceed the amount charged by the agency providing the criminal history record checks.
(h) A fee to query the National Practitioner Data Bank for applicants for licensure and renewal of licensure. The fee shall not exceed the amount charged per query.
SEC. 3.
Section 2570.19 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:2570.19.
(a) There is hereby created a California Board of Occupational Therapy, hereafter referred to as the board. The board shall enforce and administer this chapter.(b) The members of the board shall consist of the following:
(1) Three occupational therapists who shall have practiced occupational therapy for five years.
(2) One occupational therapy assistant who shall have assisted in the practice of occupational therapy for five years.
(3) Three public members who shall not be licentiates of the board, of any other board under this division, or of any board referred to in Section 1000 or 3600.
(c) The Governor shall appoint the three occupational therapists and one occupational therapy assistant to be members of the board. The Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint a public member. Not more than one member of the board shall be appointed from the full-time faculty of any university, college, or other educational institution.
(d) All members shall be residents of California at the time of their appointment. The occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant members shall have been engaged in rendering occupational therapy services to the public, teaching, or research in occupational therapy for at least five years preceding their appointments.
(e) The public members may not be or have ever been occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants or in training to become occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants. The public members may not be related to, or have a household member who is, an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant, and may not have had, within two years of the appointment, a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the board.
(f) The Governor shall appoint two board members for a term of one year, two board members for a term of two years, and one board member for a term of three years. Appointments made thereafter shall be for four-year terms, but no person shall be appointed to serve more than two consecutive terms. Terms shall begin on the first day of the calendar year and end on the last day of the calendar year or until successors are appointed, except for the first appointed members who shall serve through the last calendar day of the year in which they are appointed, before commencing the terms prescribed by this section. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term. The board shall annually elect one of its members as president.
(g) The board shall meet at least three times a year, meeting at least once each calendar year in northern California and once each calendar year in southern California. The board may convene from time to time until its business is concluded. Special meetings of the board may be held at any time and place designated by the board.
(h) Notice of each meeting of the board shall be given in accordance with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(i) Members of the board shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be entitled to reasonable travel and other expenses incurred in the execution of their powers and duties in accordance with Section 103.
(j) The appointing power shall have the power to remove any member of the board from office for neglect of any duty imposed by state law, for incompetency, or for unprofessional or dishonorable conduct.
(k) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2031, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 4.
Section 2570.40 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:2570.40.
(a) An applicant or licensee who has an electronic mail address shall provide the board with that electronic mail address no later than July 1, 2027. The electronic mail address shall be considered confidential and not subject to public disclosure.(b) An applicant or licensee shall provide to the board any and all changes to their electronic mail address no later than 30 calendar days after the changes have occurred.
(c) The board shall, with each renewal application, remind licensees and applicants of their obligation to report and keep current their electronic mail address with the board.
Text of AB 2773 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions