The General Assembly hereby enacts, and the Commonwealth of Virginia hereby enters into, the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact with any and all states legally joining therein according to its terms, in the form substantially as follows:
AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY INTERSTATE COMPACT
The purpose of this Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of audiology and speech-language pathology with the goal of improving public access to audiology and speech-language pathology services. The practice of audiology and speech-language pathology occurs in the state where the patient/client/student is located at the time of the patient/client/student encounter. The Compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure.
This Compact is designed to achieve the following objectives:
1. Increase public access to audiology and speech-language pathology services by providing for the mutual recognition of other member state licenses;
2. Enhance the states’ ability to protect the public’s health and safety;
3. Encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate audiology and speech-language pathology practice;
4. Support spouses of relocating active duty military personnel;
5. Enhance the exchange of licensure, investigative, and disciplinary information between member states;
6. Allow a remote state to hold a provider of services with a compact privilege in that state accountable to that state’s practice standards; and
7. Allow for the use of telehealth technology to facilitate increased access to audiology and speech-language pathology services.