Conference committee approves amendments to HB 1049 to restore subpoena power for speech‑language pathology board

A conference committee on House Bill 1049 voted to accept Senate amendments and further edits from the attorney general’s office that restore statutory subpoena authority for the Speech‑Language Pathology and Audiology Licensing Board and make a handful of technical changes.

The changes, which the panel approved unanimously, remove a "good moral character" requirement from the bill, add language to include certain certificates issued before Aug. 1, 2026, and reinsert a disciplinary subsection that places subpoena authority into statute rather than relying solely on an administrative rule.

Assistant Attorney General Matt Menge, general counsel for the licensing board, told the committee the subpoena language is necessary for disciplinary investigations because the two primary employers of speech‑language pathologists and audiologists in the state — schools and hospitals — may decline to release records under FERPA or HIPAA. "Fortunately, a…