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Indian-American Pennsylvania lawmaker Venkat backs audiology licensing compact bill
House Bill 80 would allow licensed audiologists and speech-language pathologists to practice across state lines.
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Ankita Baidya - Fri, 26, Jun 2026
- 05:52 EDT
- 15
Pennsylvania State Rep. Arvind Venkat speaks at the Pennsylvania state Capitol alongside members of the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association. / X/@RepVenkat
Pennsylvania State Rep. Arvind Venkat appeared at the state Capitol this week alongside members of the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association to advocate for the passage of House Bill 80, bipartisan legislation that would bring Pennsylvania into the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC).
Speaking at the event, Venkat said he was "extraordinarily proud and grateful" to lead the bill as its sponsor. As a practicing emergency physician, he said he was "very aware of the critical importance of audiologists and speech-language pathologists in our community, in our state, as well as the shortage of these professionals."
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He said the compact would work both ways, allowing out-of-state professionals to practice in Pennsylvania while enabling Pennsylvania audiologists and speech-language pathologists to "extend their talents to other patient populations as well."
Venkat also linked the bill to Pennsylvania's aging population, noting that hearing loss is a significant but often overlooked risk factor for dementia.
"It's not always considered, but a critical risk factor for dementia is being hard of hearing," he said, adding that audiologists and speech-language pathologists "play a critical role in that area" with Pennsylvania's aging population.
He expressed hope that the bill's bipartisan support would carry it "to the finish line and to the governor's desk before we leave here at the end of June."
The legislation would allow Pennsylvania to join the interstate compact while preserving the state's regulatory authority and enabling mutual recognition of professional licenses. It would also expand access to telehealth services across participating states.
Audiologists & Speech-Language Pathologists are critical to our healthcare system. Proud to join @paspeech in the PA Capitol to advocate for the passage of HB 80, my bipartisan bill with Rep Marcell to enable PA to enter the interstate compact for these healthcare professionals. pic.twitter.com/1eKIVEPk98
— Rep. Arvind Venkat, MD (@RepVenkat) June 25, 2026
Currently, 37 jurisdictions, 36 states and one U.S. territory, have enacted ASLP-IC legislation. Pennsylvania is not yet among them. The bill was introduced with Republican co-sponsor Rep. Kristin Marcell. It passed the Pennsylvania House unanimously, 203-0, in July 2025 and was reported out of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee in February 2026.
Venkat was born in Madurai, India, and raised in Detroit after his family immigrated to the United States. He graduated from Harvard University in 1996 and earned his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine in 2000 before completing his emergency medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati.
When he was elected in 2022, Venkat became the first Indian American to serve in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the first physician to serve in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 60 years. He continues to practice as an emergency physician while serving in the legislature.
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