HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5094

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, July 26, 2022.

The committee on House Ways and Means to whom was referred the bill providing for provisional licensure for speech-language pathologists (Housek, No. 4245), reports recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting therefor the accompanying bill (House, No. 5094).

For the committee,

AARON MICHLEWITZ.

FILED ON: 7/26/2022

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5094

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act providing for provisional licensure for speech-language pathologists.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 112 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 144A the following section:-

Section 144B. (a) The board may issue a provisional license to an applicant that meets the requirements of provisional licensure as a speech-language pathologist under this section. Any provisional license issued shall be in the area in which the applicant will apply for licensure under section 144.

(b) To be eligible for provisional licensure as a speech-language pathologist, an applicant shall:

(i) be of good moral character; and

(ii) possess at a minimum: (A) a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent; and (B) a master’s degree or its equivalent in the area of speech-language pathology granted by an educational institution which incorporates academic course work and the minimum hours of supervised training required by a national certifying body for speech-language pathology.

(c) An applicant for provisional licensure as a speech-language pathologist shall apply to the board in writing on an application form prescribed by the board. At the time of filing the application, an applicant shall pay to the board a fee, which shall be set by the secretary of administration and finance.

(d) The provisional license shall be valid for no longer than the period of supervised professional practice required by a national certifying body for speech-language pathology.

SECTION 2. Section 146 of said chapter 112, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “section 144”, in line 3, the following words:- or section 144B.

SECTION 3. Said section 146 of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the words “section 144”, in line 11, the following words:- or section 144B.

SECTION 4. Notwithstanding any general or special law, or rule or regulation to the contrary, insurance companies shall accept a provisional license of a speech-language pathologist issued pursuant to section 144B of chapter 112 of the General Laws as a full license for the purpose of credentialing clinicians.