The 89th regular session of the Texas Legislature began on January 14. The TSHA Legislative Team and advocacy volunteers are working to track issues in the State of Texas legislature, and nationally. View the opportunities to get involved in advocacy that are listed below, and learn how you can make an impact by advocating for the professions.
Statewide Advocacy
Join TSHA on March 11 for our Capitol Visit Day
TSHA is excited to announce that our 2025 Capitol Visit Day will be held on March 11. Join us to advocate for important issues, such as inclusion in public school employee pay raise legislation, the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact Bill, public school and special education funding, Medicaid funding, hearing instrument regulation, and more.
Ask Texas Legislators To Include SLPs and Audiologists in Public School Employee Pay Raise Legislation
The TSHA legislative team is tracking legislation that provides pay raises for some staff working in public schools. We need your help to advocate for adding speech-language-pathologists and audiologists to that list of professionals who would receive pay increases.
View Bills TSHA Is Tracking in the Texas Legislature
View all bills that TSHA is tracking in the state legislature at the link above.
National Advocacy
Express Your Support for Medicaid Protections
Congress is considering large reductions to federal Medicaid funding. Medicaid covers more than 72 million people in the U. S., nearly 40 million of whom are children. Cuts to this program would impact access to speech-language pathology and audiology services for those Medicaid beneficiaries and impact speech-language pathologists and audiologists providing critical speech, language, hearing, and other services through schools, in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, outpatient, and home settings.
Express Your Support for Ensuring the U.S. Department of Education Can Support Student Achievement and Success
The U.S. Department of Education plays a vital role in enforcing key legal protections for students, particularly those with disabilities, and supporting educators by elevating best practices from around the nation. It also plays an important role in supporting states and local school districts in providing a quality education and related support for all students and their families. This campaign opposes any legislation that would weaken federal support for our nation’s students and educators by eliminating the Department of Education or transferring its responsibilities to other federal agencies.
Ask Congress To Reverse Medicare Part B Payment Cuts to Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Services for 2025
An increasing number of speech-language pathologists and audiologists are reporting impacts to their practices as a result of inadequate Medicare reimbursement rates. Legislation was introduced last Friday to increase Medicare payments by 6.63%. This campaign aims to ask Congress to reverse Medicare Part B payment cuts and provide relief from rising inflation through passage of H.R. 879, The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025.
TSHA Legislative Team
Lori Colletti, Vice President for Advocacy
Mark Hanna, Legal and Legislative Counsel
Larry Higdon, Director of Governmental Affairs
TSHA Liaisons
Mendi Lancaster, MS, CCC-SLP, TSHA StAMP
Jennifer Cook, MS, CCC-SLP, TSHA SEAL
Peyton Stephens, MS, CCC-SLP, TSHA STAR
Feedback
Have feedback on other important issues? Contact us at staff@txsha.org or contact our Director of Governmental Affairs.