Senate committee weighs lowering licensure fee and clarifying supervision for speech‑language pathology assistants

Senate File 1534, a bill to clarify supervision and lower licensure costs for speech‑language pathology assistants (SLPAs), was heard March 6, 2025 by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and laid over for further work with the Minnesota Department of Health.

Sponsor Senator Baldwin said the bill clarifies that an SLPA working in a school is supervised by a speech‑language pathologist licensed under the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, while an assistant working in a health‑care setting is supervised by a speech‑language pathologist licensed under the Minnesota Department of Health. Sections 4 and 5 propose a lower fee than the $493 proposed for SLPA licensure, and appropriate an unspecified amount to set up the licensing system.

Jeremy Braun, a speech‑language pathologist who testified for the Minnesota Speech Language Hearing Association, told the committee that SLPAs “typically earn significantly less than SLPs,” and that a $493 fee — about double the $200–$210 SLPs pay — could create an “unnecessary financial barrier” that worsens workforce shortages and limits access to speech services across Minnesota.

Chair Wicklund said the committee expects continued work with MDH to identify an appropriate fee and the amount that must be appropriated to implement the licensure. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion; no final committee vote on passage was taken at the March 6 hearing.

Context: The assistant licensure created by last session’s law required clarifications about which licensing board supervises SLPAs in different settings. The sponsor said conversations with MDH are ongoing to set a fee that covers administrative costs without discouraging entry into the workforce.