NCSB Annual Conference and ASLP-IC Progresses

This past weekend, the National Council of State Boards (NCSB), which represents audiology licensure boards, held its annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. In this year’s programming, ethical considerations were a key focus, with sessions addressing topics such as artificial intelligence, social media, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and ensuring public websites are accessible. One notable session highlighted the Ohio Physicians Health Program, which supports practitioners with mental health and substance abuse issues—a resource more states are considering adopting.

The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC) held its annual commission meeting on Saturday as part of the conference. It was announced that five more states (Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin) have joined the compact since 2023, bringing the total to 34 states. However, the commission acknowledged that passing legislation in the remaining states will be more challenging. Additionally, the commission received an update on the website and data system development that compact staff have been working on since January 2022. The software was selected earlier this year and demo development is now underway. The commission is anticipating the first testing stages for agency interfaces in 2025.