Committee hears bill to widen eligibility for speech‑language pathology assistants, add temporary licensure and subpoena power

The Workforce Development Committee heard testimony on House Bill 1049 on measures to change licensure requirements for speech‑language pathology assistants, create a temporary license to speed reciprocity, expand audiology scope language and (by proposed amendment) restore subpoena authority to the state licensing board.

The bill’s supporters told the committee the measures are intended to ease workforce shortages in schools and health settings while maintaining professional standards. Courtney Olson, licensing secretary and a licensed speech‑language pathologist with the North Dakota State Board of Examiners on Audiology and Speech‑Language Pathology, testified the bill would reduce barriers to entry by allowing graduates of a two‑year speech‑language pathology assistant program or applicants with a bachelor’s degree in another field who hold the specified coursework to qualify for licensure. "I am here today to testify on behalf of the board in favor of House Bill 1049," Olson said.

Why it matters: committee members and agency witnesses said North Dakota faces a documented shortage of speech‑language pathologists and assistants, especially in school settings. Michelle Woodcock, regional coordinator in the Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Specially Designed Services, told the panel the Department has issued 251 speech‑language pathology paraprofessional (SLPP) certificates since the program was created with Lake Region State College and stakeholders in 2004. Woodcock asked the committee to add an amendment to grandfather SLPP certificates issued by the Department from the program’s inception through the present while the Lake Region program aligns curriculum to the Board’s licensure rules.

Substantive provisions discussed - Scope of eligible education: HB 1049 would permit applicants who complete an associate degree in an SLP assistant program to qualify for state licensure; it would also permit applicants with a bachelor’s degree in another field who have the coursework specified in the bill to qualify. Testimony noted Lake Region State College currently offers an associate pathway and that out‑of‑state certificate holders (for example from Montana) have applied under the current rules and were not licensable. - Temporary licensure: The bill includes a temporary license to expedite licensure for professionals seeking reciprocity or relicensure so they may begin work while processing completes. - Audiology scope language: The bill adds the word "managing" to the audiology scope so definitions align with third‑party terminology used in practice and contracting. - Subpoena authority (proposed amendment): Assistant Attorney General Matt Mengi proposed an amendment to restore language that would give subpoena authority to the Board of Examiners to obtain records in disciplinary investigations. Mengi said subpoena power is needed to obtain records that are otherwise protected by federal law (FERPA for schools; HIPAA for health care/hospital settings). "The reason that the subpoena authority is necessary ... is to investigate alleged violations or to impose disciplinary action," he told the committee.

Questions and clarifications Committee members asked whether associate‑level SLP assistant programs exist in North Dakota; Olson and Woodcock said Lake Region State College has the pathway and that other nearby programs and certificate pathways exist in neighboring states. Woodcock described the Department of Public Instruction’s current supervisory limits in administrative rules: school speech‑language pathologists provide supervisory roles and may supervise no more than two paraprofessionals. The Department asked for time (through 2026) to allow Lake Region to adjust program requirements and to permit a grandfathering window for previously issued SLPP certificates to convert to state licensure under the board’s rules.

Outcome of the hearing The committee closed the hearing without taking a final vote on the bill. Chair (recorded in the transcript as Chairman Wabamma) asked staff, the board attorney and Department of Public Instruction representatives to draft amendment language (including the proposed subpoena authority and grandfathering language) and submit it to the committee for distribution and further consideration. No formal committee vote on HB 1049 was recorded in the transcript.

Ending The board and Department witnesses emphasized the bill’s goals of reducing barriers to licensure and addressing shortages of speech‑language professionals in schools and health care. Committee members requested written amendment language and additional detail on program alignment and grandfathering before deciding whether to advance the bill.