At the Nov. 14 meeting of the Occupational Therapy Advisory Committee, Dr. Vann and executive counsel Patricia Wilton summarized recent developments at the national OT Compact Commission and warned of legal and privacy risks for states that join compacts without reserved safeguards.

Dr. Vann said the commission debated a proposed rule that would have allowed a new issuing state to skip criminal background checks if the practitioner's state of origin could not legally perform such checks. "That violates Louisiana law, and I've asked the board to consider it," Dr. Vann told the committee, describing vigorous debate; the measures he referenced failed in commission votes.

The committee also discussed the commission's initial plan to collect and centrally store broad practitioner data, including demographic details and Social Security numbers. Dr. Vann said Louisiana pushed back on mass uploads and negotiated limits on the data exchange, moving toward an API-based, individualized approach so boards would not provide bulk personal data to the compact commission.

Patricia Wilton described a broader concern about compact drafting: she said recent compacts use "broad, sweeping language" that can delegate detailed rulemaking authority to compact commissioners and risk reducing state control over public-protection rules. "I've been using the term bait and switch," Wilton said, adding that lack of transparency in how compact rules are filled in is a growing problem for states considering membership.

What happens next: Dr. Vann said he will continue to work with the compact commission and the state board to protect privacy and to bring any recommended positions back to the board and to the legislature if needed.