Bellows bill prompts unanimous Committee support for new speech language pathologist rules

Thanks to a bill sponsored by Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, to help ensure Maine students are able to access the speech language therapy services, the Health Care, Insurance and Financial Services (HCIFS) Committee will be writing a letter to the Board of Speech, Audiology and Hearing in support of these efforts.

LD 1985, “Resolve, Directing the Board of Speech, Audiology and Hearing To Adopt Rules To Facilitate Speech-Language Therapy,” was the subject of a public hearing and work session in the Legislature’s HHCIFS Committee on Tuesday.

“As a child, I had a significant lisp. I was fortunate to have excellent school-based speech-language therapy during elementary school,” said Sen. Bellows. “That’s why it breaks my heart that those services are not available to every Maine child who needs them today, and why I’m glad that the legislature and the Department are so committed to solving this crisis. I look forward to working with everyone to increase access to speech language therapy for Maine kids.”

Senator Bellows thanked a constituent, Donna Brown of Pittston, who brought the idea forward. LD 1985 would have helped alleviate a shortage of speech language pathologists in local schools by directing the Board of Licensing for speech language pathologists (SLP) to adopt rules to permit speech language pathologist assistants (SLPAs) to practice under the license of more than one SLP and to allow speech language pathologists to have more than two speech language pathologist assistants on their license.

The Committee voted unanimously to write the letter of support of the rulemaking process to the Board.

The Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation and the Maine Department of Education spoke in favor of the idea behind LD 1985. No one spoke against LD 1985 at the hearing.

In testimony, the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation shared that they started the rulemaking process in November to expand the ability of SLPAs to serve under more than one SLP and for SLPs to manage more SLPAs.