(a) For the purposes of this section, the term:

(1) Repealed.

(2) “Speech-language pathology assistant” means an individual who is registered with the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology to engage in practice as a speech-language pathology assistant.

(b) A person who practices as a speech-language pathology assistant shall:

(1) Be registered with the Board according to rules adopted by the Mayor;

(2) Renew the registration as required by rule; and

(3) Pay the required registration fee established by the Board.

(c) To be eligible for registration as a speech-language pathology assistant, a person shall provide proof acceptable to the Board that he or she:

(1) Meets the minimum qualifications established by the Mayor through rulemaking;

(2) Has graduated from an accredited college or university with at least an associate’s degree based on a program of studies primarily focusing on speech-language pathology or communicative sciences and disorders, or a program determined by the Board to be substantially equivalent in subject matter and extent of training to an associate’s degree in speech-language pathology;

(3) Has successfully completed the clinical observation hours and supervised clinical assisting experience hours required by regulations adopted by the Mayor; and

(4) Has paid the required registration fee.

(d) A person shall not practice as a speech-language pathology assistant or use the title of speech-language pathology assistant unless he or she:

(1) Is registered with the Board to practice as a speech-language pathology assistant;

(2) Practices under either the direct or indirect supervision and direction of a licensed speech-language pathologist, except as provided for in subsection (e)(2) of this section; and

(3) Wears a name tag bearing the title “speech-language pathology assistant” while acting in a professional capacity and displays his or her current registration in a conspicuous place in the office where the speech-language pathology assistant is employed.

(e) A registered speech-language pathology assistant shall not:

(1) Work independently;

(2) Practice speech-language pathology assistance unless under either the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist, or a speech-language pathologist employed by any agency of the federal government performing the duties of that agency; or

(3) Provide any services for which he or she has not received training to enable him or her to competently and safely perform the assigned tasks and job duties, or that cannot be delegated by a speech-language pathologist as set forth in rulemaking by the Mayor.

(f) A licensed speech-language pathologist may delegate duties to a speech-language pathology assistant that are appropriate to the training and experience of the speech-language pathology assistant and within the scope of practice of the supervising speech-language pathologist; provided, that the speech-language pathologist shall not delegate to a speech-language pathology assistant any task or function identified, through rulemaking, as a task or function that shall not be delegated.

(g) For a period of one year following March 26, 2014, unless further time is granted by the Mayor through rulemaking, a person who has received appropriate training for the tasks assigned may practice as a speech-language pathology assistant regardless of registration with the Board, only while under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist, except as provided for in subsection (e)(2) of this section.

(h) For a period of one year following March 26, 2014, a person practicing as a speech-language pathology assistant may register as a speech-language pathology assistant notwithstanding the educational requirements of subsection (c)(2) of this section provided, that the person has been employed under either the direct or indirect supervision of a speech-language pathologist for a minimum of 15 hours per week during at least 3 of the 5 years preceding March 26, 2014.

(Mar. 25, 1986, D.C. Law 6-99, § 910; as added Mar. 26, 2014, D.C. Law 20-96, § 102(r), 61 DCR 1184; Apr. 11, 2019, D.C. Law 22-300, § 2(f), 66 DCR 2024.)

The 2014 amendment by D.C. Law 20-96 added this section.