TSHA PAC Purpose
The cost of maintaining a strong legislative initiative in Austin continues to rise. The Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association Political Action Committee (TSHA PAC) needs your financial support. The purpose of the TSHA PAC is to encourage the support of legislation which meets the widely different needs of the profession. The PAC raises money for contributions to candidates for state office who are supportive of TSHA’s goals. It’s an effective way to make our voices heard in the legislative process.

Co-Chairs:
Larry Barnes – lbarnes@wtamu.edu
Angela Kennedy – angelken@baylorhealth.edu

Acceptable Contributions

Donate to TSHA PAC

1. Contributions to the TSHA PAC for donations to candidates must be made by personal check or credit card.
2. Corporate checks and corporate credit cards cannot be used for donations to political campaigns.
3. Corporate checks and corporate credit cards can be used for administrative purposes.

TSHA MEMBERS ARE COMMITTED
by April Smith and Melissa Sweeney, TSHA PAC Co-Chairs

TSHA members expressed their commitment to TSHA Political Action Committee (PAC) during Convention activities in San Antonio by donating $5,200. Prior to Convention, members expressed their commitment to PAC through contributions made when they paid their TSHA membership dues for 2008. Contributions with dues renewal totaled $2,890, for a combined total of $8,090. PAC’s goal this year is to raise $40,000. This is the amount of money recommended by TSHA’s legislative team to allow us to make a contribution to every Texas legislator. The goal of $40,000 equates to approximately $10 per TSHA member. What we know is “it takes change to make change.” Contributions are necessary as we work with legislators to respond to TSHA’s legislative initiatives.

The following initiatives were identified as those TSHA will actively be involved in and support in the 2009 legislative session:

1. Introduce legislation to ensure any future teacher salary increases in the public schools will also include all speech-language pathologists and audiologists practicing in the public schools.
2. Introduce legislation to provide "loan repayment" for any graduate who chooses to practice in the public school setting, or any doctoral student choosing to join the Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty of a Texas college or university. Loan repayment would be based on service over a 5 year period.
3. Introduce legislation to exempt from professional liability speech-language pathologists and audiologists performing "volunteer" services.
4. Support legislation to be filed by "Dyslexia Practitioners and Therapists" seeking a Title Act License.
5. Support legislation which will improve insurance coverage and reimbursement for clients receiving speech-language pathology and audiology services.
6. Monitor and make appropriate changes to any legislation that will affect the professions of speech-language pathology and/or audiology.

Find additional information on these initiatives on TSHA’s website at www.txsha.org, or contact TSHA’s Vice President for Social and Governmental Policy, Stacy Reaves at stacy_reaves@yahoo.com.