MONTANA SPEECH LANGUAGE HEARING ASSOCIATION

ASSISTANT LICENSURE AND INTERSTATE COMPACT MEMBERSHIP/LICENSURE INFORMATION 

Assistant licensure is live for Montana!  

Apply for your SLPA or Audiology Assistant License at https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/speech-language-pathologists/

This form lists the criteria that must be met for each license:  Montana Licensure Requirements PDF.   Language specific to Assistant Licensure can be found in the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) section 24.222.550 ASSISTANT LICENSURE – INITIAL APPLICANTS.  

Assistants using the Previous Experience qualification route, or "Grandfathering:" In order to help schools and businesses license individuals who have had a significant investment in providing services as an aide/assistant under former MT laws, MSHA is running a bill in the 2025 session to extend the deadline for these individuals to apply for an assistant license using previous experience.  Currently, Audiology Aides and SLP Aides can apply with 110 / 690 hours of previous experience, respectively, but the experience must have been gained by January 1, 2024.  The new bill would propose to extend that deadline to July, 2025, so individuals still gaining experience this (school) year  will be able to use those hours toward the 110/690 hour requirement. 

Interstate Compact: 

Because of the work done by MSHA in the 2023 session, Montana is now part of the ASLP-IC.  Find updates about being part of the Interstate Compact at https://aslpcompact.com/

April 4, 2024

Presentation about Assistant Licensure for the Montana Council for Exceptional Students Conference

   LINK TO PRESENTATION HERE

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2023 Legislative session work: 

1) SB 300 is an amendment to last session's Assistant Bill bill (HB2010, 2021) that will incorporate language changes by DLI.  The new target date for licensure of Assistants, proposed by the Licensure Board and DLI in their revisions, will be January, 2024.  Following the passage of the bill, David Lopez, Executive Officer for the Audiology and  Speech-Language Pathology Licensing Board, sent out an email and there was a 10-day comment period. The rules for SLPAs are still in draft form and the Licensing Board was preliminarily scheduled to meet in August to make those revisions.  MSHA will work with different agencies to help them understand the size and scope of SLPA work once rules are officially created.  Thank you Sen. Edie McClafferty for carrying this bill and Rep. Bob Carter for sponsoring it in the House. Thank you to ASHA for submitting a letter of support for this bill.

2) SB214 MSHA introduced legislation for Montana to join Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact. This bill did pass and will allow AuDs and SLPs privileges to practice in other states who are also members of the compact. Although most of the rules are part of the Compact, new Rules pertaining to MT licensees who wish to opt in to the Compact will also be discussed in the August meeting.  Because the Compact required federal level background checks, new Rules are proposed that all individuals seeking MT licensure will be required to get that background check. The rules proposal also includes that people who are currently licensed in MT will NOT need to get a background check unless they wish to become ASLP-IC members.   Thank you Sen. Edie McClafferty for carrying this bill and to Rep. Ed Buttrey for sponsoring it in the House. Thank you to ASHA for submitting a letter of support for this bill.

4)HB736 Under the leadership of Sam Schmidt of MT APTA (PT version of MSHA), HB736 was introduced and it calls for Medicaid reimbursement be at 95% of Physician rate for OT, PT, and Speech Therapy services. This would be a game-changer for many companies that are struggling to provide services to Medicaid clients.  This bill was heard in committee on Friday, February 24 and Jenni Kingan represented MSHA for this bill.  Thank you, Jenni! Thank you to Rep. Tony Brockman for carrying this bill.  THIS BILL DID NOT PASS BUT THERE IS GREAT MOMENTUM TO MOVE A BILL LIKE THIS FORWARD IN THE 2025 SESSION. 

Thank you to all who joined us for Hill Day to talk to legislators!  Members of NSSHLA from the University of Montana, Amy Glaspey, Shelby Midboe, Kelsey Storm, Jenni Kingan, Shanna Stack, Michael Crews, Kimberly Foote.  Thank you to our lobbyist, Robin Turner, who has provided excellent service to us in this legislative session!

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For questions, email slp.shelby.midboe@gmail.com , or contact the licensing board.  

Individuals wishing to become an ASHA Certified SLP or Audiology Assistant can find more information at https://www.ashaassistants.org/

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