Lauren Koczarski

I am writing in support of HB1051, a house bill that establishes a statewide fingerprinting and background check database for the state of New Hampshire. As a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP), I provide consultations, evaluations, and therapy to New Hampshire students in need of communication support. I hold licenses in two states, New Hampshire and Maine. I was previously licensed in Tennessee. I hold two national certifications that require ongoing continuing education and documentation of my knowledge, skills, and preparedness for this field. School districts regularly request my services to support their non-speaking students, and my consultations and evaluations are often in addition to the treating SLP in their buildings. I've had the pleasure of working in many of our schools in New Hampshire, often supporting one to two students in our smaller communities, to ensure they are accessing their education and communication. Over the years, the number of students with more intensive needs has increased, while a shortage of therapists across all disciplines persists. This means that many schools rely heavily on contracted service providers like me to meet the ethical and legal requirements of their IEPs and to best support students in achieving their communication and educational goals. As both a parent and a school provider, I appreciate and demand transparency, understanding who is working with children, and knowing that they are safe adults, particularly when assisting the most vulnerable students. I believe that a fingerprinting system and background checks on all employees and volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults are absolutely mandatory. However, the current system causes delays, service duplication, and an unnecessary financial burden on providers who are trying to support our schools. Since 2017, I have supported students in 63 districts in New Hampshire. Under the current law, that would be 63 fingerprinting appointments in nine years. In the last 12 months, I've been fingerprinted by six different districts, all requiring time away from work and students to schedule it during the workday, delaying the initiation of services while fingerprinting appointments were scheduled, completed, and the results sent to each district. In August of 2024, I was fingerprinted for three districts on the same day, since I could not send a singular copy to all three. This past December, I was fingerprinted for two districts on the same day. During less busy times of the year, this may take a 2-week delay. However, during busier times, it has taken up to six weeks. The creation of a centralized database that allows districts to access previously obtained fingerprinting results would expedite service delivery for our most vulnerable students in New Hampshire. This would provide districts with the critical information they need to determine, in a timely manner, whether Speech Language Pathologists are safe to work with our students. It will also reduce the overburdening of the New Hampshire Criminal justice system's fingerprinting, as contractors and specialized service providers will not need to be fingerprinted multiple times in the same month just to send the same information to different people. This database would allow for students to receive services without delay, districts to screen potential candidates in a timely manner, and the state to ensure that background checks remain mandatory for all persons supporting children. Thank you for considering House Bill 1051, which will provide faster access to providers for NH students, while continuing to ensure that those providers are safe individuals. Sincerely, Lauren M Koczarski, MS CCC-SLP, ATP Speech Language Pathologist Assistive Technology Professional Boothby Therapy Services