Q: Why is CHCPBC proposing these amendments to the Bylaws?
A: The College of Health and Care Professionals of BC is proposing amendments to align renewal cycles for registration, certification, and health profession corporations to March 31, across all nine professions regulated by CHCPBC, by March 31, 2026. This will support the development of an integrated registrant database/management system.
Q: What amendments are being proposed?
A: The College is proposing amendments to the following schedules of the CHCPBC Bylaws:
- Schedule 1: Fees, 2.0 Fee Schedule for the Designated Health Profession of Occupational Therapy
- Schedule 3: Occupational Therapy: Registration, Examinations, and Professional Liability Insurance, section 7.0 Annual Registration Renewal
- Schedule 4: Opticianry: Registration, Examinations, and Professional Liability Insurance, section 5.0 Renewal of Registration
- Schedule 5: Optometry: Registration, Examinations, and Professional Liability Insurance, section 9.0 Registration Renewal
- Schedule 6: Physical Therapy: Registration, Examinations, and Professional Liability Insurance, section 8.0 Registration Renewal and section 9.0 Reinstatement within Two Months of Failure to Renew
- Schedule 7: Psychology: Registration, Examinations, and Professional Liability Insurance, section 11.0 Registration Renewal
- Schedule 8: Audiology, Hearing Instrument Dispensing, and Speech-Language Pathology: Registration, Examinations, and Professional Liability Insurance, section 12.0 Conditions and Requirements for Renewal (Full, Conditional, and Non-Practising)
- Schedule 27: Health Profession Corporations: Optometry and Physical Therapy, Part 1: Optometry, section 5.0 Renewal of an HPC Permit
Q: Where can I see the proposed amendments to the Bylaws?
A: The public and registrants can review the proposed amendments on the Proposed Bylaw Amendments section of the CHCPBC website.
Q: How will these amendments to align renewal cycles impact the registration periods for CHCPBC registrants?
A: There are four professions whose current renewal cycles for registration do not occur on March 31:
- Occupational Therapy: June 30, 2025
- Optometry: October 31, 2025
- Physical Therapy: May 31, 2025
- Psychology: December 31, 2025
At the renewal date in 2025 for the four professions noted above, those professions will renew for a truncated (or “stub”) year, with a prorated fee, ending March 31, 2026.
Prorated fees for each of the impacted professions are included below:
| Profession | 2025-26 Registration Year | Number of Months | Full registration fee (12 months) | Prorated Fee |
| Occupational therapy | July 1 – March 31 | 9 | $610.00 | $457.50 |
| Optometry | December 1 – March 31 | 4 | $1390.00 | $463.33 |
| Physical Therapy | June 1 – March 31 | 10 | $610.00 | $508.33 |
| Psychology | January 1 – March 31 | 3 | $1380.00 | $345.00 |
Q: After occupational therapists, optometrists, physical therapists, and psychologists renew their registration with the prorated fee, when do these registrants have to renew their registration again?
A: All CHCPBC registrants, including occupational therapists, optometrists, physical therapists, and psychologists, will be required to renew their registration by March 31, 2026 for a period of 12 months (period of April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027).
Q: Are there any other Bylaw amendments proposed?
A: The College is also proposing amendments to the schedules for Audiology, Hearing Instrument Dispensing, Opticianry, and Speech-Language Pathology. These amendments aim to standardize the date by which the College must notify registrants of registration renewal, setting it to February 1 each year for all nine professions.
Q: How will these amendments impact quality assurance requirements for CHCPBC registrants?
A: Quality assurance (QA) reporting requirements will be adjusted for the “stub” year. More information about potential for prorated or modified QA reporting requirements will be provided to impacted registrants in advance of the newly established March 31, 2026 registration renewal deadline.
Q: How can I provide my feedback on the Bylaw amendments?
A: Any comments or feedback on the proposed amendments should be sent to the College and the Ministry of Health, no later than March 14, 2025, 4:30 pm, to the attention of:
College of Health and Care Professionals of BC
900 – 200 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4
Email: communications@chcpbc.org
ATTN: Dianne Millette, Registrar & CEO
Ministry of Health
Professional Regulation & Oversight Branch
Clinical Integration, Regulation, and Education Division
PO Box 9639, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9P1
Email: proregadmin@gov.bc.ca
ATTN: Executive Director, Professional Regulation and Oversight Branch
Q: When will the Bylaw amendments be approved and come into force?
A: The Board is being asked to consider the amendments at their meeting on March 20, 2025. If approved by the Board, the College will request filing of the amended bylaws with an in-force date in the spring.
Q: How will registrants know when the amendments are in-force?
A: If the amendments are brought into force, the College will ensure that all mandatory communication regarding regulatory requirements outlines any changes and important information that registrants need to know to successfully renew their registration on time. The public and registrants can view the most up-to-date Bylaws on the CHCPBC website at any time.
