SB3467eng 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3467 Engrossed LRB103 37460 RTM 67582 b

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act is amended by changing Sections 3.5, 8.5, and 8.6 as follows:

(225 ILCS 110/3.5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 3.5. Exemptions. This Act does not prohibit:

(a) The practice of speech-language pathology or audiology by students in their course of study in programs approved by the Department, or the performance of speech-language pathology assistant services by graduates who have obtained degrees as set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 8.5 of the Act, when acting under the direction and supervision of licensed speech-language pathologists or audiologists.

(b) The performance of any speech-language pathology service by a speech-language pathology assistant or candidate for licensure as a speech-language pathology assistant, if such service is performed under the supervision and full responsibility of a licensed speech-language pathologist. A speech language pathology assistant or candidate for speech-language pathology assistant licensure may perform only those duties authorized by Section 8.7 under the supervision of a speech-language pathologist as provided in Section 8.8.

(b-5) The performance of an audiology service by an appropriately trained person if that service is performed under the supervision and full responsibility of a licensed audiologist.

(c) The performance of audiometric testing for the purpose of industrial hearing conservation by an audiometric technician certified by the Council of Accreditation for Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC).

(d) The performance of an audiometric screening by an audiometric screenings technician certified by the Department of Public Health.

(e) The selling or practice of fitting, dispensing, or servicing hearing instruments by a hearing instrument dispenser licensed under the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act.

(f) A person licensed in this State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which he or she is licensed.

(g) The performance of vestibular function testing by an appropriately trained person under the supervision of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches.

(h) The performance of neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring of the seventh and eighth cranial nerve by an individual certified by the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists as Certified in Neurophysiologic Intraoperative Monitoring only if authorized and supervised by the physician performing the surgical procedure.

(Source: P.A. 100-530, eff. 1-1-18.)

(225 ILCS 110/8.5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 8.5. Qualifications for licenses as a speech-language pathology assistant. A person is qualified to be licensed as a speech-language pathology assistant if that person has applied in writing or electronically on forms prescribed by the Department, has paid the required fees, and meets both of the following criteria:

(1) Is of good moral character. In determining moral character, the Department may take into consideration any felony conviction or plea of guilty or nolo contendere of the applicant, but such a conviction or plea shall not operate automatically as a complete bar to licensure.

(2) Has received either (i) an associate degree from a speech-language pathology assistant program that has been approved by the Department and that meets the minimum requirements set forth in Section 8.6, (ii) a bachelor's degree and has completed course work from an accredited college or university that meets the minimum requirements set forth in Section 8.6, or (iii) a bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology or communication sciences and disorders from a regionally or nationally accredited institution approved by the Department that meets the minimum requirements set forth in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) in Section 8.6, and evidence of completion of at least 100 hours of documented field work supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist that is comparable to field work that completed in a speech-language pathology assistant program in this State, and completion of requirements for certification as a speech-language pathology assistant or completion of an equivalent program as determined by the Department by rule.

(Source: P.A. 103-302, eff. 1-1-24.)

(225 ILCS 110/8.6)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 8.6. Minimum requirements for speech-language pathology assistant programs.

(a) An applicant for licensure as a speech-language pathology assistant must have earned 60 semester credit hours in a program of study that includes general education and the specific knowledge and skills for a speech-language pathology assistant. The curriculum of a speech-language pathology assistant program must include all of the following content, as further provided by rule promulgated by the Department:

(1) Twenty-four semester credit hours in general education.

(2) Thirty-six semester credit hours in technical content areas designed to provide students with knowledge and skills required for speech-language pathology assistants, which must include (i) an introductory or overview course in of normal processes of communication disorders; (ii) phonetics an overview of communication disorders; (iii) speech sound disorders instruction in speech-language pathology assistant-level service delivery practices; (iv) language development instruction in workplace behaviors; (v) language disorders cultural and linguistic factors in communication; and (vi) anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing mechanisms observation.

(3) Completion of at least 100 hours of supervised field work experiences supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist at least 50% of the time when the student is engaged in contact with the patient or client. An applicant must obtain written verification demonstrating successful completion of the required field work experience, including a description of the setting in which the training was received and an assessment of the student's technical proficiency.

(b) The Department may promulgate rules that change the curriculum requirements of subsection (a) in order to reflect the guidelines for speech-language pathology assistant programs recommended by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

(c) Any applicant for licensure as a speech-language pathology assistant who applies to the Department prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly or any person who holds a valid license as a speech-language pathology assistant on the effective date of this amendatory Act shall not be required to meet the new minimum requirements for a speech language pathology assistant program under subsection (a) of this Section 8.6 that are established by this amendatory Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-1315, eff. 7-27-10.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2025.