Public Act 096-1315
 
HB5190 EnrolledLRB096 18565 ASK 33947 b

    AN ACT concerning professional 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 Section 8.6 as
follows:
 
    (225 ILCS 110/8.6)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2018)
    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 Thirty-six semester credit hours in
    general education.
        (2) Thirty-six Twenty-four 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 overview of
    normal processes of communication; (ii) an overview of
    communication disorders; (iii) instruction in
    speech-language pathology assistant-level service delivery
    practices; (iv) instruction in workplace behaviors; (v)
    cultural and linguistic factors in communication; and (vi)
    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. 92-510, eff. 6-1-02.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.