Speech language pathologists.

Existing law, the Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and Hearing Aid Dispensers Licensure Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of speech-language pathologists by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, and makes a violation of the act a crime. The act defines the practice of speech-language pathology to include the application of instrumental procedures for specified purposes relating to the development and disorders of speech, voice, language, or swallowing. Existing law specifies that instrumental procedures are the use of rigid and flexible endoscopes to observe specified areas of the throat for specified purposes, including collecting data. Existing law prohibits the construction of the provisions on the application of instrumental procedures as a diagnosis and imposes a requirement that any abnormalities be referred to a physician and surgeon. This bill would add to the above-specified provisions on instrumental procedures a statement that the passage of those instruments without the presence of a physician and surgeon is subject to the existing prohibition on construing those provisions as a diagnosis and the requirement to refer abnormalities to a physician and surgeon. Existing law prohibits a speech-language pathologist from performing a flexible fiber optic nasendoscopic procedure unless they have received verification from an otolaryngologist that, among other things, they have performed a minimum of 25 flexible fiber optic procedures. This bill would instead require verification that the speech-language pathologist has performed a minimum of 25 supervised flexible fiber optic transnasal endoscopic procedures. Existing law authorizes a speech-language pathologist to pass a flexible fiber optic nasendoscopic instrument only under the direct authorization of an otolaryngologist and the supervision of a physician and surgeon. This bill would delete those provisions and would instead authorize a speech-language pathologist to pass a flexible fiber optic transnasal endoscopic instrument only upon the orders of a licensed physician and surgeon, which shall be deemed to allow a speech-language pathologist to perform fiber optic transnasal endoscopic procedures at a location based on the patient's medical needs. The bill would prohibit a speech-language pathologist from performing flexible fiber optic transnasal endoscopic procedures on patients who have contraindications to the procedure. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.