Washington Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Washington Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WSLHA) is an organization that promotes professional excellence in speech-language pathology and audiology.

Mission: Empowering and connecting current and future professionals through advocacy, education, and leadership development, to foster equitable, inclusive, and culturally respectful collaboration with our communities.
Vision: An engaged and thriving community empowered to enrich communication and quality of life for all.

WSLHA is an American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) recognized state association.

Letter from the President: Perseverance

3-30-2025

I am disappointed to report HB 1589 will not advance any further this session. HB 1589 supports fair contract negotiations for private and clinical SLPs and audiologists in our state. Senator Cleveland, Representative Bronske, and insurers plan continued negotiations in preparation for the legislative session in 2026. HB1589 had a strong bipartisan vote in the House and negotiations with insurers throughout the legislative session and needs approval by key senators.

WSLHA remains committed to advancing HB1589. Next year, WSLHA will continue the Advocacy Day event, foster partnerships with healthcare allies, build trust through integrity with legislators, and address key concerns with HB1589 to assure its success. WSLHA joined a coalition of 20 professional fields to build increased strength and integrity with the House and the Senate. This coalition strengthens our circle of trust during negotiations.

The relationships WSLHA cultivated with legislators and our unified coalition of 20 healthcare fields builds fortitude and the promise of successful outcomes for the future. Policies influence financial priorities for staffing in clinics and private practice. Fair access to clinical services increases patient access to timely, quality services. Together, the passage of HB1589 builds a stronger, fairer future for Washington State’s healthcare providers.

Thank you for stepping forward on this journey towards change through your own personal call to action. Your call to action is the future that greets us with the promise of hope.

Sincerely,

Laurel White, CCC-SLP

WSLHA President

Volunteer Opportunities Available – Are You?

Are you looking for a way to grow and take advantage of an opportunity to help yourself, your colleagues and your patients, clients, or students. WSLHA, as a volunteer-based organization, has many such opportunities.

Several of our committees need your ideas, your creativity and some of your time. Consider joining one of them. Contact the WSLHA website and complete a volunteer application or email the office to express your interest. WSLHA’s Volunteer Coordinator, Judith Bernier, will contact you to explore the possibilities. Briefly most committees meet once a month for an hour with some work on projects between meetings as needed. Time involvement is estimated at 1-3 hours a month.

The following committees are looking for your assistance – Communications, Membership, School Affairs, and Continuing Education. It’s a great way to meet new colleagues, to strengthen your skill set, to develop your leadership and to grow as a professional. Come join our community of Washington SLPs/Audiologists and Assistants.

Capitol News

WSLHA Priorities:

I have bad news to report on HB 1589, our fair contracting bill. Despite our strong bipartisan vote in the House and the negotiations with insurers throughout the legislative session, we were unable to overcome concerns that key senators had on our bill. HB 1589 will not advance any further this session.

However, we have the commitment from the chairs of the health care committees, Sen. Cleveland and Rep. Bronoske (who is also our prime sponsor) and the insurers to continue negotiations during the legislative interim, with the goal of an agreement to present to the Legislature in 2026.

I want to thank all of you who advocated for HB 1589. Whether you signed in pro, answered WSLHA’s action alerts, or recruited other WSLHA members to advocate in support of HB 1589, that grassroots advocacy was powerful and made a difference. Even though the bill died this session, we will begin our interim work from a position of strength.

Health Care Bill of Interest:

HB 1686, the bill directing the Department of Health to study the idea of creating a health care entity registry, is scheduled for a hearing in the Ways & Means Committee on Thursday.

HB 1392, the bill that creates the Medicaid Access Program to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates, has been designated “necessary to implement the budget” or NTIB. It’s scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Thursday.

General News:

With just one month left of the 2025 regular legislative session, the deadline for bills to be voted out of policy committees is Wednesday, April 2nd (however, many policy committees have finished their work early). After this date, there is a very tight six-day turnaround for bills that have an impact on the state budget to be voted out of fiscal committees by April 8th. This brief window of time means that lawmakers will have to act quickly to ensure that bills with fiscal implications, but are not NTIB, receive the necessary attention before they can move forward in the legislative process.

Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp Passes Away… The legislative community was shocked this week by the news that former Representative, Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp (D-43) died on Saturday at the age of 71. Chopp was elected to the Legislature in 1994, a year when his Democratic Party suffered significant losses, dropping from a near supermajority in the House to a 62-36 minority.

In 1997, he became House Minority Leader and when the House was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans in 1999, he served as co-speaker alongside Republican Clyde Ballard of East Wenatchee.

Democrats regained control of the chamber after winning a special election in Snohomish County in 2001, and Chopp was appointed speaker in 2002. He held the position until stepping down in 2019, stating that he wanted to “focus more energy on the issues that matter most and are priorities for the caucus.”

Chopp is generally regarded by members of both parties as a giant in Washington politics and is credited with leading the effort to create the Housing Trust Fund, Apple Health and Homes Program, and Apple Health for Kids.

Democrat Operating Budgets Released… Washington’s House and Senate Democrats released their operating budgets on Monday. Both budgets hinge on significant new tax revenues over the next four years—$17 billion in the Senate plan and $15 billion in the House plan. The Senate will vote on their budget on Saturday, the House on Monday.

In the Senate, Democrats propose balancing the next two-year budget by delaying expansions to early learning and childcare programs, implementing furloughs for state workers, and depleting state reserves to boost funding for public schools, particularly special education.

House Democrats, meanwhile, avoid furloughs and tapping into savings. Like the Senate, they delay the expansion of early learning and childcare programs but allocate approximately $1 billion less in new funding for special education and public-school operations.

SB 5167 - Senate Democrat Proposal:

$78.5 billion total budget
$1.6 billion in new spending, primarily for education and state worker contracts
Cuts of $3 billion over the next biennium and $6.5 billion over four years
Contains new revenue from financial intangibles tax on individuals with more than $50 million in publicly traded assets (about 4,300 taxpayers)
Contains new revenue from a 5% payroll tax on compensation above the Social Security threshold for employers with $7 million or more in annual payroll (about 5,289 businesses).
Features a property tax reform that allows collections to grow with population and inflation
Repeals 20 tax exemptions identified as ineffective or obsolete by nonpartisan auditors
Lowers the state sales tax rate from 6.5% to 6%
A withdrawal of $1.6 billion from the state’s emergency reserves, leaving just $95 million by mid-2026
Includes a temporary 5% pay cut for state employees, equating to about 13 unpaid furlough days. It also proposes increasing the employee share of health benefits to 20% starting in the 2027–29 budget

HB 1198 - House Democrat Proposal:

$77.8 billion total budget
$920 million in new policy spending
Ends the first fiscal year with $1.7 billion in reserves, growing to $3.2 billion by 2027
Contains new revenue from legislation to modify the state and local property tax authority
Includes financial intangible assets tax that imposes a tax of $8 on every $1000 of assessed value on certain financial intangible assets, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and index funds, with the first $50 million in assessed value exempt from the tax
Contains a one percent Business & Occupation (B&O) tax surcharge on businesses with taxable income over $250 million
Increase to the surcharge on specified financial institutions with annual net income of $1 billion or more from 1.2% to 1.9%

Revenue bill hearings next week… On Monday, the Senate Ways & Means Committee will hear its five revenue bills (SB 5797 (financial intangibles tax), SB 5796 (large employer payroll tax), SB 5798 (property tax lid lift), SB 5794 (eliminating obsolete and ineffective tax preferences), and SB 5795 (sales tax reduction). The House’s three revenue bills, HB 2046 (financial intangibles tax), HB 2049 (property tax lid lift), and HB 2045 (large business B&O tax surcharge) will be heard on Thursday. We also may see Governor Ferguson’s revenue preferences next week.

To C or Not to C: Making Decisions about Your SLP Licensure and Accreditations in Washington State

Disclosure: WSLHA receives grants and advocacy support from ASHA

Recently, WSLHA has received questions from our SLP community about maintaining ASHA CCCs. As the cost of living is on the rise, many SLPs are looking for ways to cut expenses. ASHA membership or certification is not required to be a member of WSLHA, and we neither endorse nor oppose ASHA membership or certification. While the decision about maintaining your ASHA Cs is yours and yours alone, there are several things to consider:

Clinical and ESIT settings. Most clinical settings and ESIT agencies in Washington require SLPs to hold state licensure from the Department of Health. ASHA Cs are not required for state licensure, but licensure requirements mirror the requirements for Cs. Some insurance companies and healthcare organizations still require ASHA Cs in addition to proof of license. If you are considering dropping your ASHA Cs, talk with your employer or insurers first.

School settings. While ESA certification is required by OSPI for SLPs working in Washington State public schools, ASHA certification is not. However, some school districts prefer or require their SLPs to hold licensure and/or ASHA Cs. If you already have your ASHA Cs, ESA renewal is easy. Just upload a copy of your ASHA certificate when you log into the e-certification system. If you do not have ASHA Cs, you will need to provide proof of 100 clock hours earned over a 5-year period.

Supervision: If you enjoy supervising and mentoring students and clinical fellows, take note. For students enrolled in ASHA accredited Master’s degree programs, ASHA requires that supervising clinicians hold and maintain their Cs.

Working abroad: Considering working outside of the US? A number of countries have mutual recognition of professional association credentials. For example, ASHA certification is recognized by the national associations of Canada, Ireland, UK, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, but those countries may not recognize your state licensure. If you plan to work abroad, check your destination country’s requirements first.

Changing professional settings. Many clinicians start their career in one setting and explore others along the way. One of the advantages to being an SLP is the option to work across different settings. While ASHA Cs might not be required in your current setting, they could be required in a future setting.

ASHA Membership vs Certification. Did you know that you don’t have to be an ASHA member to retain your Cs? You can also be an ASHA member without certification. Contact the ASHA Center for more information about these options and the associated costs.

Final thoughts. WSLHA encourages you to carefully consider your options for ASHA certification and membership, keeping your present and future needs in mind. Regardless of your ASHA certification or membership, we encourage you to be involved in WSLHA. Many of the decisions that are made at the state level affect your practice. WSLHA is your voice in Washington State.

Deirdre Curle, PhD, CCC-SLP is Past-President of WSLHA. She lives in Seattle and is a speech-language pathologist at the Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth. She holds ASHA Cs and affiliation with SIG 9, Pediatric Hearing and Hearing Disorders.

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