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He appeared before Kentucky lawmakers to endorse the bill, which sailed through the Republican-dominated legislature and was signed by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

At a bill signing ceremony Thursday, Kidd-Gilchrist spoke about the accomplishment he hopes will have a lasting impact for others striving to overcome speech difficulties.

“I weathered the storm of being picked on, teased and such like that,� he said. “I just want to thank you guys — just being heard at this magnitude. I’m not just a national champion here anymore. I’m a person who made a real impact in this state. I want to thank you guys for the opportunity.�

Speech therapy is the mainstay of . Globally, 70 million people stutter and President Joe Biden has spoken publicly about being mocked by classmates and a nun in Catholic school for his own speech impediment. He said overcoming it was one of the hardest things he’s ever done.

On Thursday, Beshear praised the Kentucky bill — Senate Bill 111 — that will require insurers to cover speech therapy costs to treat stuttering.

“Speech therapy can make a world of difference and now everyone is going to be able to have that coverage,� the governor said.

During a Kentucky Senate debate on the bill last month, Republican state Sen. Whitney Westerfield spoke about the obstacles many people face in getting the treatment they need.

“There are a lot of Kentuckians ... who either don’t have coverage, have coverage and it’s limited by these arbitrary caps -- say 20 visit therapy sessions and that’s it -- regardless of what your need is,� he said. “You might need 10 times that many. But you can’t get it.�

Westerfield, the bill's sponsor, on Thursday gave the credit to Kidd-Gilchrist for the bill's success.

“It’s his story and he’s the reason this bill is here,� Westerfield said.

In a recent op-ed, Kidd-Gilchrist pointed to his ties to Kentucky and his efforts to help other people struggling with stuttering. He wrote that he’s traveled the Bluegrass State to “hear testimonies� from people who stutter and advocate on their behalf.

“I am pushing myself to use the very thing that can be a struggle — my voice — to speak up for the community I represent and whose voices often go unheard,� he said.

“A primary obstacle to treatment for those who stutter is the way that insurance coverage is structured for this condition,� he added.