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Subcommittee advances bill to study speech-therapy access after testimony from person who stutters
Summary
House Bill 296, sponsored by Representative Love, passed the Insurance Subcommittee after testimony from Michael Kidd Gilchrist, who described personal experiences with stuttering; the bill would create a task/study to examine speech-therapy access in schools.
The Insurance Subcommittee voted 5-0 to advance House Bill 296, which Representative Love described as creating opportunities and support for students who need speech therapy.
Representative Love introduced the bill and then the committee heard in-person testimony from Michael Kidd Gilchrist, who identified himself as a former athlete and described lifelong experiences with a stutter: "It is very lonely... Even in the school system. It is a very, very isolated thing that we go through," Gilchrist told the committee.
Representative Love said the bill would create a task or study to examine impacts and access to speech therapy services in schools. Members thanked Gilchrist for his testimony; Representative Hakim said Gilchrist's appearance "took strength and courage" and noted concerns about bullying and academic impacts. Chairman Kumar and other members described the issue as significant and urged support.
The clerk announced the vote as "5 ayes and 0 nays," and the chair said the bill "goes to Insurance full." The transcript records amendments added earlier in the agenda (drafting codes 004900 and 004928) that rewrote or clarified portions of the bill; Representative Love presented the amended bill before testimony.
