Legislature(2003 - 2004)
05/03/2004 04:30 PM House L&C
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 365-SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST ASSISTANTS CHAIR ANDERSON announced that the final order of business would be the CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 365(FIN), "An Act relating to the regulation of speech-language pathologist assistants; and providing for an effective date." Number 2229 JANE ALBERTS, Staff to Senator Con Bunde, Alaska State Legislature, presented SB 365 as committee aide to the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee, sponsor of the bill. This bill establishes registration of speech-language pathologist assistants through the department of occupational licensing, she explained. Currently, speech pathology assistants (SLPAs) in Alaska are not licensed or regulated like similar professions of physical and occupational therapy assistants. The bill outlines qualifications and training required to be an SLPA, their scope of practice, supervision, and continuing education requirements, she reported. She continued: The bill will mandate that SLPAs be regulated and supervised, which insures that the consumer is receiving appropriate language services. This will increase the frequency of services to clients while maintaining service quality. The use of the SLPAs will be crucial in rural and remote regions in Alaska, and may be some of the only ways that folks needing those services in these areas will be able to get their services, and that's through the use of these assistants. There's currently a shortage of qualified SLPAs in Alaska. I believe there's about 230 currently in the state. This bill will give credentials and supervised authority to SLPAs to administer specific services to clients once they are reviewed by the speech-language pathologist. It must be made clear, however, that the use of an SLPA is not meant to replace the work of a speech-language pathologist, but to extend their services. Currently SLPAs are licensed through the Department of Economic Development. There were a couple changes made in Senate Finance to this bill that were technical language changes that clarified that the SLPAs could not conduct feeding and swallowing screenings. Apparently, in this industry, that's very technical screening that can only be done by a licensed speech pathologist. There were four technical changes made in Senate Finance to this bill. MS. ALBERTS noted that the fiscal note is fee-based with a biennial registration fee of approximately $133. Number 2093 LAURA YOUNG-CAMPBELL, Speech-Language Pathologist, Matanuska- Susitna School District; Member, Alaska Speech-Language Hearing Association, testified that her workload has increased significantly due to paperwork and other duties created by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind, and that has caused her to have less time to work with students. An assistant would be able to help take on duties such as scheduling meetings with parents, provide prescribed therapy, and follow a treatment plan for students with disabilities, she explained. An assistant would allow the students to complete their Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals faster and allow them to return to the classroom and experience academic success. An assistant would also be a cost saving to the school district and to the state when the time frame for the treatment plan is cut down, she opined. An assistant would also enable smaller teaching groups, which, according to the National American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, allows for faster progress by children. The SLPA would be supervised by a speech- language pathologist and would have a specific scope of practice to follow, she concluded. Number 2023 REPRESENTATIVE GATTO thanked Ms. Campbell for the work she does. He pointed out that his minor was in speech pathology and he said he understands the amount of paperwork that is involved in her job. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked if there is an existing board which would supervise the SLPAs. MS. YOUNG-CAMPBELL replied that it would be through the [Division] of Occupational Licensing, [Department of Community and Economic Development]. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked if there is a board for speech- language pathologists. MS. YOUNG-CAMPBELL replied no. Number 1984 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked if speech-language pathologists are currently licensed under occupational licensing. MS. YOUNG-CAMPBELL said that some are [licensed] through the [Division] of Occupational Licensing and some are [licensed] through the Department of Education. CHAIR ANDERSON asked if this bill would bring all licensing under one statute. MS. YOUNG-CAMPBELL replied that it is only for assistants. Both the Department of Education and the Division of Occupational Licensing would follow the bill's guidelines when hiring [SLPAs], she explained. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked if this bill is needed to set up a competency level for SLPAs. MS. YOUNG-CAMPBELL said yes. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked if there is a minimum level of education required. MS. YOUNG-CAMPBELL replied that Prince William Sound Community College has a two-year SLPA program and 100 hours of supervised clinical practice, which fall under the guidelines of the No Child Left Behind Act. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked if a person would have to go to Valdez to get this degree. MS. YOUNG-CAMPBELL said that it is a distance-delivery program and it is currently the only program in Alaska. Number 1863 CHAIR ANDERSON closed public testimony. Number 1855 REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report CSSB 365(FIN), Version 23-LS0540\S, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSSB 365(FIN) was reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.
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