SLPA Legislation Update: October 2024

Published in the October 2024 issue of the ISHA Voice.

By Kim Pritikin, Division Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory, and Karen Kockler, member of the School Affairs Committee

On August 9, 2024, Governor Pritzker signed SB3467 into law (Public Act 103-1004).  ISHA volunteers worked with our lobbyist, Jim Morphew to update The Illinois Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act regarding SLPA requirements. 

• Updates were made to the language in Sections 3.5, 8.5 and 8.6. 

1. The updates in Sections 3.5 and 8.5 allow candidates who hold Associates or Bachelor degrees and who have completed the requirements as stated in 8.6, to apply for IDFPR licensure.  The requirements for those who complete the SLPA program for an Associate’s degree remain the same; the SLPA programs in Illinois include all coursework and the 100 hours of supervised clinical experience. 
2. For those with Bachelor degrees who are no longer enrolled in a program, there is now a formal mechanism to obtain the 100 hours of supervised clinical experience via SLPA certification.  Additionally, the requirements for SLPA programs are clearly stated in Section 8.6.  The changes in the language and requirements go into effect on January 1, 2025.

 This document summarizes the current language and the changes that will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

Kimberly Pritikin is the ISHA Vice-President for Legislative and Regulatory affairs. She currently works for California Online Public Schools providing teletherapy to students.

Karen Kockler, MA, CCC, SLP-L, is the ASHA State Education Advocacy Leader for IL. She has over 30 years of experience as a teacher and an SLP.