Committee hears OPR request for time to study licensing of speech-language pathology assistants
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Summary
Witnesses from the Office of Professional Regulation told the Senate Government Operations Committee they support a required Sunrise review of speech-language pathology assistants but asked for time to update research and produce legislative language; OPR set a target to complete the review by Nov. 15.
The Senate Committee on Government Operations heard testimony March 31 on H.588, the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) bill, about whether speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) should be brought under state regulation.
OPR Director Jennifer Cohen told the committee the office supports the bill language that directs a Sunrise report on SLPAs and said OPR will follow its usual public-notice and stakeholder process. The committee chair recorded a deadline of "November 15" for that report.
The agency traced the issue to a 2014 Sunrise review and subsequent legislative action that moved licensing of speech-language pathologists out of the Agency of Education and into OPR but did not add assistants into statute. "We support, we support that report," Jennifer Cohen said, describing the need to update research, compare other states' requirements and build a regulatory approach that is the least-restrictive form of public protection under Chapter 57 of Title 26.
Lauren Hibbert, Secretary of State, said OPR lacks the capacity to build a fully fledged new profession in the near term and asked for time to complete the Sunrise review. "Barring some surprise, that we come back to this body next session with a regulatory scheme for speech language assistance," Hibbert said, describing the office's plan to consult stakeholders and return with legislative suggestion language.
Committee members pressed whether OPR could reuse the 2014 language. OPR witnesses replied that the 2014 Sunrise was done when AOE handled school-based SLP licensing and that the office does not have a complete statutory template for assistants to adopt immediately. OPR noted that a regulatory decision will have implications for schools, which currently may require separate credentials from OPR and the Agency of Education.
OPR said it will add those who testified earlier to the stakeholder list, conduct public hearings and aim to present recommendations and draft language after a full review. The committee did not take a formal vote on the provision during the session; OPR and members agreed to reconvene to address remaining sections of the bill.
What happens next: OPR will begin a Sunrise review, notify stakeholders and return to the committee with recommendations and proposed statutory language, targeted for completion by Nov. 15.
