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Committee hears bill to extend deadline and grandfather experienced speech‑language pathology assistants
Summary
House Bill 384 would extend the licensing deadline and allow individuals who already completed required supervised hours to be licensed as speech‑language pathology assistants (SLPAs); supporters said it addresses implementation delays, while the Department of Labor described administrative constraints.
Representative Jennifer Lynch told the committee House Bill 384 would extend the deadline for licensing speech‑language pathology assistants and allow individuals who already completed required practical experience to be deemed qualified.
Supporters said the change corrects an administrative gap from earlier legislation. Jennifer Hensley and the Montana Speech Language Hearing Association (MASHA) told the committee that 2021 and 2023 bills established the SLPA pathway but that no ready, psychometrically valid exam or administrative application existed in time for the statutory deadline, leaving experienced assistants unable to apply for licensure.
MASHA, the Coalition of Advocates for Montana’s Public Schools and other proponents argued the bill is a narrowly tailored fix that will allow qualified paraprofessionals working in schools and clinics to be licensed based on supervised experience. Shelby Midboe, public policy chair for MASHA, described workforce shortages and noted the high caseloads SLPs face in Montana schools; she said assistant licensure will help spread caseloads and reduce wait lists.
Kevin Bragg, Bureau Chief for the Professional Licensing Bureau at the Department of Labor and Industry, was present as an informational witness and said the department stands ready to implement the law as written and answer technical questions.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about the correct effective date in the bill language (Representative Carter noted a line showing July 15) and about the equivalency language and the 690‑hour practical requirement. Proponents and the department discussed earlier rulemaking and the difficulty vendors and the department faced standing up an exam and application process within the prior statutory timelines.
Outcome: The committee closed the hearing and later took a vote; the sponsor asked for a “do pass.” The transcript shows the sponsor requested a “do pass” at the end of the hearing; there is no roll‑call vote recorded in the hearing portion of the transcript provided here.
Ending: Proponents urged the committee to pass HB 384 to mitigate workforce shortages and recognize experienced assistants who have been working while the state stood up the licensing program.
