SENATE BILL No. 1147

 

 

November 13, 2014, Introduced by Senator MOOLENAAR and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled

 

"Public health code,"

 

by amending sections 17603 and 17607 (MCL 333.17603 and 333.17607),

 

as added by 2008 PA 524.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 17603. Beginning the effective date of this part, an An

 

individual shall not use the titles "speech-language pathologist",

 

"speech pathologist", "speech therapist", "speech correctionist",

 

"speech clinician", "language therapist", "language pathologist",

 

"logopedist", "communicologist", "aphasiologist", "phoniatrist",

 

"voice therapist", and "voice pathologist", or similar words that

 

indicate that the individual is a speech-language pathologist,

 

unless the individual is licensed or otherwise authorized under

 

this part as a to engage in the practice of speech-language

 

pathologist.pathology.


 

     Sec. 17607. (1) An Except as otherwise provided in this

 

section, an individual shall not engage in the practice of speech-

 

language pathology unless licensed under this part.

 

     (2) A licensee shall not perform an act, task, or function

 

within the practice of speech-language pathology unless he or she

 

is trained to perform the act, task, or function and the

 

performance of that act, task, or function is consistent with the

 

rules promulgated under section 17610(3). A speech-language

 

pathologist, including an individual practicing under subsection

 

(6)(d), shall refer a patient to a person an individual licensed or

 

otherwise authorized to engage in the practice of medicine or

 

osteopathic medicine and surgery in this state if signs or symptoms

 

identified during the practice of speech-language pathology cause

 

the speech-language pathologist or individual to suspect that the

 

patient has an underlying medical condition.

 

     (3) A licensee shall perform assessment, treatment or therapy,

 

and procedures related to swallowing disorders and medically

 

related communication disorders only on patients who have been

 

referred to him or her by a person an individual licensed or

 

otherwise authorized to engage in the practice of medicine or

 

osteopathic medicine and surgery in this state.

 

     (4) Limited diagnostic testing, such as endoscopic

 

videolaryngostroboscopy, shall only be performed by a licensee in

 

collaboration with or under the supervision of a person an

 

individual licensed or otherwise authorized to engage in the

 

practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine and surgery in this

 

state.


 

     (5) A licensee shall follow procedures in which collaboration

 

among the licensee and a person an individual licensed or otherwise

 

authorized to engage in the practice of medicine or osteopathic

 

medicine and surgery in this state and other licensed health care

 

professionals is regarded to be in the best interests of the

 

patient.

 

     (6) Subsection (1) does not prevent any of the following:

 

     (a) An individual licensed or registered under any other part

 

or act from performing activities that are considered speech-

 

language pathology services if those activities are within the

 

individual's scope of practice and if the individual does not use

 

the titles protected under section 17603.

 

     (b) The practice of speech-language pathology that is an

 

integral part of a program of study by students enrolled in an

 

accredited speech-language pathology educational program approved

 

by the board, provided that those if the individuals are identified

 

as students and provide speech-language pathology services only

 

while under the supervision of a licensed speech-language

 

pathologist.

 

     (c) Self-care by a patient or uncompensated care by a friend

 

or family member who does not represent or hold himself or herself

 

out to be a licensed speech-language pathologist.

 

     (d) An individual who meets all of the following requirements

 

from engaging in the practice of speech-language pathology in this

 

state:

 

     (i) Notwithstanding rules promulgated under this part, he or

 

she possesses a master's or doctor of science or doctor of


 

philosophy degree in speech-language pathology conferred by an

 

accredited international institution.

 

     (ii) He or she has actively and continually engaged in the

 

practice of speech-language pathology in this state since January

 

1, 2000.

 

     (iii) He or she holds an academic appointment at an accredited

 

institution.

 

     (iv) He or she performs activities that are considered speech-

 

language pathology services in collaboration with or under the

 

supervision of an individual licensed or otherwise authorized to

 

engage in the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine and

 

surgery in this state.