Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Bill to allow supervised speech‑aids in public schools advances amid debate over training and supervision
Summary
Representative Melissa Nicola Cakos’s HB 744 would permit supervised speech aids to work under licensed speech‑language pathologists and allow more flexibility for rural districts; proponents urged temporary statutory standards and rule‑making while professional associations warned about training and ethical supervision risks.
Representative Melissa Nicola Cakos introduced House Bill 744 to allow school districts to employ speech‑aids who would work under a licensed speech‑language pathologist for at least 20% supervised time. Cakos framed the bill as a response to severe shortages of licensed speech pathologists that leave many rural schools without timely services.
Lance Melton, representing the Montana School Boards Association and education coalitions, urged support for the bill with an accompanying amendment that would set a…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
