05/05/2004 04:22 PM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 365(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to the regulation of speech-language                                                                       
     pathologist assistants; and providing for an effective                                                                     
     date.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
JANE ALBERTS, STAFF TO SENATOR BUNDE, introduced the bill.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
LAURA  YOUNG CAMPBELL,  SPEECH-LANGUAGE  PATHOLOGIST,  MAT-SU                                                                   
SCHOOL  DISTRICT, explained  that  the bill  establishes  the                                                                   
regulation  of speech-language  pathologist  assistants.  The                                                                   
speech-language  assistants   would  enroll  in   a  two-year                                                                   
program  at   Prince  William  Sound  Community   College,  a                                                                   
distance-learning program taught  by licensed speech-language                                                                   
pathologists.  The  students  would  also  gain  one  hundred                                                                   
clinically supervised hours, to  emerge from the program with                                                                   
an assistant's  degree. This would  affect assistants  in all                                                                   
job settings,  not just  the schools.  She explained  that in                                                                   
the remote rural  regions of the State, a  speech pathologist                                                                   
is sometimes only available a  few days a month, while having                                                                   
a properly  trained assistant  would allow  the consumer  on-                                                                   
going treatment.  An  assistant in the  schools would  handle                                                                   
clerical,   non-student  activities   to  allow  the   speech                                                                   
pathologist  more  time  to work  with  students  in  smaller                                                                   
groups. Outside  of the schools, the assistant  would benefit                                                                   
the  treatment  of  all ages  of  people  with  communication                                                                   
disorders.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Harris  asked if  she supported  Amendment #1.   Ms.                                                                   
Young  Campbell  affirmed  that the  Alaska  Speech  Language                                                                   
Hearing Association supports it.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Chenault  asked her level of  education and if                                                                   
other degree programs would be  available for an assistant to                                                                   
advance and replace her when she  retires. Ms. Young Campbell                                                                   
explained   that    a   Masters   degree,    national   board                                                                   
certification, and an internship  are required. Following the                                                                   
two-year program,  a person could work toward  a Bachelors or                                                                   
a Masters degree. Currently Alaska  doesn't have a Bachelor's                                                                   
program,  but   a  distance  delivery  Master's   program  is                                                                   
starting up.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Harris  MOVED  to ADOPT  Amendment  #1.    Co-Chair                                                                   
Williams OBJECTED for purposes of discussion.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Amendment #1 reads:                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Delete all language on page 4, lines 25-27                                                                                      
[" (3)  appears to  the department to  suffer from  no mental                                                                   
illness  or   chemical  or  alcohol  dependency   that  would                                                                   
interfere with  the applicant's ability to perform  safely as                                                                   
a speech-language pathologist assistant."]                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
RICK  URION, DIRECTOR,  DIVISION  OF OCCUPATIONAL  LICENSING,                                                                   
DEPARTMENT OF  COMMUNITY &  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT  stated that                                                                   
the bill relates to a good program,  but the Department found                                                                   
a problem area on page 4, lines  25-27.  He felt that none of                                                                   
his dedicated employees is qualified  to determine if someone                                                                   
is mentally ill or chemically dependent.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Williams  WITHDREW his OBJECTION.   Amendment #1 was                                                                   
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster  MOVED to report HCS CSSB  365(FIN) out                                                                   
of  Committee   with  individual   recommendations   and  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note. There  being NO OBJECTION,  it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HCS CSSB  365(FIN) was REPORTED  out of Committee with  a "do                                                                   
pass"  recommendation  and one  previously  published  fiscal                                                                   
impact note.