LEGISLATION
Legislative Updates from the SCSHA Lobbyist
National Legislation
State Legislation
SCSHA
Legislative Contact Information
SCSHA Legislative Updates
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
For a complete update concerning ASHA’s national
legislative efforts, go to ASHA’s SLP website at
http://www.asha.org/about/legislation:advocacy/slp-advocate/. This
site provides a synopsis of the most recent activities of ASHA’s
Government Relations and Public Policy Divisions. Some of the most
significant issues this year are listed below:
1. Review
of IDEA Part B final regulations
2. Salary
supplement legislation for public school SLPs
3.
Extension of the Medicaid therapy cap exception process
4.
Announcement of incoming Congressional leaders fiscal year 2007
appropriations
5.
Renewal of state associations
6.
Legislation for newborn hearing screening
7.
Actions and discussion of ASHA state Legislative Counselors (LCs), State
Education Advocacy Leaders (SEALs) and the Counsel of State Association
Presidents (CSAP)
STATE
LEGISLATION
SCSHA Legislative Day 2006
was held Thursday, May 11th. The day began with a light
breakfast at 8:00 for all legislators and staff. The Senate was not
in session. However, there was good attendance by the House members
and their staff. Approximately 30 Representatives and 50 staff
members attended. The 2066 SCSHA Ambassador, Caleb Fore, attended
along with his parents Doug and Gina Fore. Free hearing screenings
were offered. Students from the University of South Carolina
conducted the hearing screenings. After the breakfast, the 15 SCSHA
members in attendance met in the lobby area between the Senate and
House chambers to discuss current speech and hearing issues with
several state representatives. Representative Kenny Bingham
introduced Caleb and his family from the House balcony.
SCSHA Legislative Day 2007 is
scheduled for Thursday, April 26. The schedule of activities will be
similar to those of the past years. The day will begin with a breakfast
with hearing screenings offered and end with meeting with legislators in
the legislative lobby of the State House. Weather permitting; a group
photo will be made of all attendees on the front steps of the State
House.
A new bill, S. 323 has been
introduced in the Senate by Senator Nikki Setzler. This bill states that
a financial incentive will be awarded to full-time public school speech
–language pathologists who have earned the ASHA CCC for the life of the
certificate. The bill was sent to the Judiciary Committee for review.
The SCSHA Executive board
voted at the June 2006 meeting to accept a membership request to
investigate current Medicaid and insurance reimbursement rates and begin
legislation to increase the current rates.
Alyson Price, SCSHA
Legislative Committee Chair has been recruiting members to serve on the
committee and would welcome more members. This committee has been
charged by the Executive Board to develop an extensive grassroots system
to be used when specific legislators need to be contacted. The
committee would like to have one or two lead contacts for each
geographical area of the state to disseminate information to all members
of the area. Hopefully, personal contact will result in more active
participation by the membership in legislative efforts and put more
pressure on legislators with voter contact.
SCSHA
Legislative Contact Information
For more information, you may
contact:
VP Governmental Affairs
Traci M. Hogan, MA, CCC-SLP
tamslp3@charter.net
SCSHA LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
March 2007
Bill S. 323
passed the Senate Education Subcommittee March 7! Celeste Blackmon
and Rebecca McKenzie Appling did an excellent job speaking on behalf of
the association. We offer a tremendous “Thank You” to the approximately
15 SCSHA members that attended the hearing! It demonstrated to the
senators how important this bill is to the public school membership.
Also, Thanks to those who contacted their senators asking them to vote
“yes”on the bill. The senators were aware of the contacts and commented
about the number of them.
Senator Fair
of Greenville District 6 spoke favorably of the bill to the other
committee members. We were very pleased with his comments! Please take
the time to send him a hand written note thanking him for speaking to the
committee in such an encouraging and favorable way for bill S. 323.
Next, the
bill goes to the Full Senate Education Committee. We expect this
to be in about 2 to 3 weeks. Please plan to attend the committee meeting
once the date and time are announced. It will be announced on the SCSHA
list serv and through the legislative grassroots contact system. Please
begin contacting the senators of the committee asking them to vote “yes”
for bill S. 323. The senators on the committee are listed below. To find
YOUR senator and contact information, go to
www.sc.statehouse.net and
click on “Find Your Legislator.”
