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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
REPORT – Spring 2007
Eve E. Sadd, ASHA L.C. 2006-2008
esadd@cox.net
The following is a report of the activities and actions taken by the
Legislative Council and its Assemblies during the meeting held in Bethesda,
MD on March 23,24,25, 2007:
Meetings with Legislators: Council members made visits
to their respective U.S. Senators and Representatives to urge sponsorship
and support of the following bills, which have been introduced or will
soon be introduced for 2007:
http://www.asha.org/about/legislation-advocacy/briefs-agenda/issue_briefs
- Direct Access to Audiologists
- Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
- IDEA Funding
- Loan forgiveness for SLPs working in High Needs Schools
- SLP Medicare Outpatient Supplier Status
Presentation on proposed New Governance Structure: The Committee on Governance Structure and Process, made a presentation on the proposed change in ASHA's governance structure and the evidence the committee gathered in order to arrive at the proposed model. Outcomes for the new governance structure plan include:
- Increased membership input into governing actions that have an impact on them
- Increased autonomy for the two professions in ASHA governance
- Increased ability of members of the professions to identify and discuss issues
- Streamlined decision making
- Reduced bureaucratic barriers
- Greater efficiency and responsiveness
Assembly Meetings: The Audiology/Hearing Science Assembly (A/HSA) and the Speech Language Pathology/Speech-Language Science Assembly (SLP/SLSA) met to discuss issues of concern to the professions. Both Assemblies reviewed the results from ASHA member responses to the Critical Issues Survey that was emailed in January. The top 5 issues were voted on by the full Council. The following 3 issues ranked the highest of concern and will be forwarded to the Executive Board for consideration:
- Shortages of SLPs in schools and in healthcare
- Reimbursement
- Use of SLP Assistants
Focused Initiatives and Strategic Plan Update
ASHA's Chief Staff Officers presented updated information on the outcomes and strategies for each of the following Focused Initiatives ( http://www.asha.org/about/Leadership-projects/national-office/focused-initiatives ). Work Plans for 2007 were also presented.
- Reimbursement in Health and Education
- PhD Shortage in Higher Education
- Personnel Issues in Healthcare and Education
- Evidence-Based Practice
Resolutions Considered by the Legislative Council and Assemblies:
- LC 1-2007: Adopt the new governance model as described in the report on “ASHA's Governance Structure and Process.” APPROVED .
- LC 2-2007: Approve ASHA membership dues for 2008. The membership dues for 2008 will be the same as for 2007 . APPROVED.
- LC 3-2007: ASHA opposes the actions of the California Speech-Language Hearing Association's published statement regarding audiologists in California. APPROVED.
- LC SLP/SLS 2-2007: Adopt the Position Statement on Childhood Apraxia of Speech. APPROVED.
Financial Update: The Vice President of Administration and Planning, Mary Jo Schill, updated Council on the financial status of the Association.
Regional Meetings: Councilors gathered by geographical region to discuss issues related to personnel shortages, evidence-based practice and marketing of the professions .
ASHA Program Review: The Legislative Council continued its annual review of one third of ASHA Programs and made recommendations for each program to continue as is, alter by enhancement, reduce, or discontinue. Council's recommendations will be posted on the ASHA Web site at http://www.asha.org/about/leadership-projects/LC/archive/ .
Grassroots Advocacy: A presentation on effective grassroots advocacy on the federal, state and local level was presented to the Council. (Grassroots Advocacy Web page: http://www.asha.org/about/legislation-advocacy/grassroots/ )
Presentations, Reports and Minutes: Presentations, reports and minutes of the Legislative Council and Assembly meetings will be posted on the ASHA web site at: http://www.asha.org/about/leadership-projects/LC/archive/ .
Should you have any questions regarding the discussions or actions taken by the LC, or issues you would like the Council to consider in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you.
Eve E. Sadd
ASHA Legislative Councilor, 2006-2008
esadd@cox.net