SCSHA Advocacy - Overview

The advocacy efforts for SCSHA take many volunteers and led by Kelly Caldwell, the Vice President of Government Affairs, and guided by our lobbyist, Wanda Crotwell. The SCSHA legislative affairs committee is actively involved each year in reviewing and updating advocacy missions as well as the legislative agenda. To find out more about our advocacy, the policy team, how a bill becomes law in SC, and our past legislators of the year, check it out below.  We are also sharing specific members-only advocacy updates, and members-only advocacy resources within the advocacy menu.  Login and check it all out today!

Kelly Caldwell

Kelly Caldwell, MA, MS, CCC-SLP is a passionate speech-language pathologist and educator with over 17 years of experience in medical and educational settings. She specializes in voice, swallowing, and airway disorders, serving in ENT and acute care environments. Since February 2021, Kelly has actively served the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SCSHA), currently as Vice President of Government Affairs, leading advocacy efforts and legislative initiatives to improve access to care. She has mentored thousands of clinicians through the Medical SLP Collective, presented nationally on evidence-based practices, and consulted with state organizations on program development. Her leadership, clinical expertise, and commitment to sustainable healthcare reform make her a respected voice in the field.

 

Wanda Connelly Crotwell

Wanda Connelly Crotwell is a government relations professional with more than 35 years of experience in the fields of government, communications, and lobbying. Prior to joining The Southern Group in 2019, she was a lobbyist and strategic advisor at Mike Daniel and Associates for seven years.

Before joining MD&A, she was assistant to the Commissioner for External Affairs at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, where she served under four separate commissioners and five different governors. As part of her responsibilities, she managed governmental affairs, constituent services, annual budget requests, accountability reports, internal communications, and media relations. She also served as policy advisor and strategic counsel to the Commissioner. In addition to her 18 years of experience in state government, she has worked in the field of communications for both non-profit and for-profit private sector companies in South Carolina and Georgia.

 

Find Your Legislators

Search for state representatives here
Search for your national legislators here.
Also provided is a link to the Secretary of State to assist you in finding your polling place – http://www.sos.sc.g

Exclusive SCSHA Members-Only Advocacy Resources

SCSHA leaders have been developing resources based on member requests since 2021. These resources were designed with member-level advocacy in mind, based on clinical and professional issues across a variety of settings for SLPs and Audiologists.

  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    • Schools
    • Healthcare and Reimbursement
    • Licensing, Certification, and Personnel

  • Continuing Education Resources

  • Telepractice Resources Updates

  • Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Resources

How a bill becomes law in SC

The South Carolina Legislature, the house and the senate, has part-time representatives that are in session about five months of the year, from the second Tuesday in January until the second Thursday in May. The house and senate only meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The full Committees meet every other week. If one body passes a bill, it crosses over to the other body. The crossover deadline is set by house and senate rules and typically occurs on or before April 10th. If a bill does not make crossover, i.e. it didn't pass the house OR senate before April 10, the other legislative body cannot consider the bill without a special request by a legislator. Any bills that do not pass their respective legislative body by the crossover deadline can still be passed before the end of term on May 13th, but won’t reach the other legislative body until the second Tuesday in January of the following year.

The SC legislature typically works on bills in committees before bills are heard on the floor. Since the legislative session is 2 years long, SCSHA typically has about 17 weeks of each year to get a bill passed by one of the legislative bodies, about half of which time is spent in committee. Legislative sessions begin in odd years, i.e. January 2025 to May 2026, with an adjournment "sine die" in May 2025. Most of the time, the only bill taken up in special session after the May adjournment is the annual appropriations bill (the state budget), which must be passed before July 1 of each year. Ultimately, this means that it can take the full 2 years to get a bill passed in South Carolina, and that is only if it fits with the legislature's priorities that session.

How does the legislative process in SC impact SCSHA advocacy?

Because meaningful legislative change can take up to 2 years to become law, SCSHA must plan with a focus on the next 2 years, the next 6 years, and the next 10 years. Some of the bills SCSHA may support have been filed and re-filed several years in a row. Bills are assigned to committee for work to take place on them, which often includes a sub-committee. A sub-committee is be involved in researching the bill, asking for associations with interests in the bill to submit written information, hearing public oral and/or written testimony, and amending the bill.

This means SCSHA has to consider non-legislative solutions, whenever possible.

Policy change can occur at multiple levels. Legislative change, as described above, is arduous and needs to be reserved for issues that can only be solved via legislation.  Any changes that can be implemented by state agency regulation or policy then becomes an area for advocacy focus.

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is available to help SCSHA with common issues that are being proposed across multiple states, such as the interstate compact, prior authorization reform, and insurance coverage mandates for stuttering and hearing aids. SCSHA is responsible for determining if and how to engage with ASHA Staff to support advocacy.  ASHA does some lobbying at the state level, but typically at the request of ASHA members, or the ASHA-affiliated state speech-language hearing association.  Therefore, SCSHA advocacy must include a budget for a lobbyist to assist with meeting our goals for our members.  Our lobbyist is a key person in connecting with stakeholders from state agencies, the legislature, and other professional associations. 

Find educational information here: https://www.studentconnection.scstatehouse.gov/legislative-process

SCSHA Legislator of the Year Awards

2025 Legislator of the Year

Representative William G. "Bill" Herbkersman

Chairman, House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee

Republican - Beaufort

Learn more about Rep. Herbkersman

 

Previous Awardees 

  • 2024 Senator Danny Verdin
  • 2023 Senator Dwight Loftis
  • 2022 Representative Shannon Erickson
  • 2021 Representative Chris Wooten
  • 2020 Senator Sandy Senn
  • 2019 Senator Thomas Alexander
  • 2018 Representative Katie Arrington
  • 2016 Senator Katrina Shealy
  • 2009 Senator Hugh Leatherman
  • 2009 Representative Tracy Edge