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HB 2761 Kansas House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Enacting the speech-language pathology assistant act to provide for the licensure of speech-language pathology assistants.

HB 2761 establishes a licensing system for speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) in Kansas, requiring them to meet specific education and training standards to practice. To become licensed, applicants must complete a bachelor's degree (or equivalent coursework) in communication sciences, 100 hours of supervised clinical experience, and meet national certification requirements. The law mandates that SLPAs work under direct or indirect supervision by a licensed speech-language pathologist and complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years for license renewal. This bill directly affects current and future SLPAs by setting clear qualifications, supervision rules, and renewal requirements for their practice.
Issues: ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes licensing standards for SLPAs to ensure qualified care under supervision, improving service quality and patient safety in healthcare delivery.92% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 6, 2026 Signed Apr 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Amended by House Committee on K-12 Education Budget → Enrolled · 5 edits · Apr 9, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized by removing committee headers and correcting formatting errors, while adding a new definition for 'speech para' to distinguish unlicensed support staff from licensed assistants. The text was also updated to clarify that the Secretary of Aging and Disability Services is the licensing authority and to specify that licenses expire every two years with a reinstatement process for lapsed licenses.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on establishing licensure for speech-language pathology assistants, but the final text clarifies the role of unlicensed 'speech paras' and identifies the specific state agency responsible for oversight.
DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'speech para' to describe unlicensed individuals who assist with basic tasks like transporting clients and preparing activities, distinguishing them from licensed assistants.

Updated the definition of 'Secretary' to specify the secretary of aging and disability services, replacing previous inconsistent or incomplete agency names.

Added a new definition for 'telepractice' to clarify that it involves delivering services remotely using internet and telecommunication technology.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific provisions for license renewal, stating that licenses expire after two years and outlining the process for reinstatement if a license lapses due to failure to renew.

TECHNICAL

Removed internal committee markup, page numbers, and formatting artifacts to produce the clean, final enrolled version of the bill.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
14
Key actions
8
Committee
4
Apr 9, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor on Friday, April 3, 2026
lower
Mar 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Final Action - Passed; Yea 38, Nay 2
upper
Mar 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Be passed
upper
Mar 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Report recommending bill be passed by Senate Committee on Education
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Committee
Referred to Senate Committee on Education
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Introduced
Received and Introduced
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 121, Nay 1, Absent 3
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by House Committee on K-12 Education Budget
lower
Feb 6, 2026
Committee
Referred to House Committee on K-12 Education Budget
lower
Feb 6, 2026
Introduced
Introduced
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.