2. The Legislature finds and declares that it is necessary to regulate persons offering occupational therapy services to safeguard the public health, safety, and welfare and to protect the public from incompetent, unscrupulous and unauthorized persons; to assure the highest degree of professional conduct on the part of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants; and to guarantee the availability of occupational therapy services of high quality to persons in need of those services.

L.1993,c.85,s.2.