By Bobbie Kay Turkett, MS, CCC-SLP, Vice President for Advocacy 

The 88th Texas Legislative Session is currently underway. Your Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) legislative team is reviewing more than 3,000 bills. Some of those bills have to do with your profession of speech-language pathology or audiology. 

You might think, “What does this have to do with me?” or “I don’t like to get into politics.” However, it is imperative that you advocate in order to inform legislators about important aspects regarding your profession. 

You might think, “I can’t do that,” or “How do I do that?” 

Do you know who your legislator is? Go to Texas Legislature Online to find out.

Write them a letter, or set up a meeting with them. Tell them about your profession and about what it means to you.

If you’re wondering what to ask of them, here are starting points:

• Ask them to support teacher pay raises. Ask them to add speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists to any bill providing for teacher pay raises.
• Ask them to oppose all legislation that does not exempt or eliminate special education from voucher bills. The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) listed as a priority to oppose “all attempts to divert public dollars away from public schools in the form of vouchers, an education savings account, taxpayer savings grants, tuition-tax credits, a business franchise tax credit, an insurance premium tax credit, or any other mechanisms that have the effect of reducing funding to public schools.”
• Ask that they support the Interstate Compact for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. The bill will be introduced in the house by State Rep. Ryan Guillen. TSHA is seeking a sponsor in the senate. Currently, 23 states have passed Interstate Compact legislation.
• Three asks are probably the most you can effectively accomplish in one meeting with your legislator.
• If you have an item of particular interest to you, include it in your request.

It is so important that you create a relationship with your legislator so they are more aware of the professions and they know you are a resource when it comes you profession. 

There is a list of bills TSHA is currently monitoring with more to come. TSHA offers a list of resources to assist you when speaking to legislators or staff. For example, here is a handout related to the Interstate Compact legislation, and here is a handout with general guidance for visits to the capitol. Keep up-to-date by reading TSHA’s Capitol Watch newsletter. Please take time to review it, and, most likely, somewhere in this list of bills is a topic that pertains to your, your practice setting, and your profession. TSHA needs your help to advocate for your professions!