AB915: Bill Text

AB915, s. 67 Section 67. 459.08 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Act 27, is amended to read:

AB915,22,17 459.08 (1) A person who holds a license shall notify the department in writing or in accordance with other notification procedures approved by the department of the regular address of the places where he or she engages or intends to engage in the practice of fitting or selling hearing aids instruments. The licensee shall inform the board of any changes in these addresses within 30 days of the change.

AB915, s. 68 Section 68. 459.085 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB915,22,23 459.085 Calibration of audiometric equipment. Audiometric equipment used in the evaluation of hearing sensitivity for the fitting and sale of hearing aids instruments shall be calibrated periodically, as specified by rule by the examining board. Certification of these calibrations shall be sent to the examining board with the renewal fee required in s. 459.09.

AB915, s. 69 Section 69 . 459.09 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB915,23,7 459.09 Renewal of license; fees; effect of failure to renew. Each person who practices dealing in or fitting hearing aids instruments shall, on or before the applicable renewal date specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a), pay to the department the applicable renewal fee specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a) and keep the certificate conspicuously posted in the person's office or place of business at all times. Where more than one office is operated by the licensee, duplicate certificates shall be issued by the department for posting in each location.

AB915, s. 70 Section 70 . 459.09 of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Acts 49 and .... (this act), is repealed and recreated to read:

AB915,23,19 459.09 Renewal of license. Each person issued a license under this subchapter shall, on or before the applicable renewal date specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a), pay to the department the applicable renewal fee specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a) and submit with the renewal application proof that he or she completed, within the 2 years immediately preceding the date of his or her application, 20 hours of continuing education programs or courses of study approved or required under rules promulgated under s. 459.095. A licensee shall keep the certificate conspicuously posted in his or her office or place of business at all times. Where more than one office is operated by the licensee, duplicate certificates shall be issued by the department for posting in each location.

AB915, s. 71 Section 71 . 459.10 (1) (d), (e), (j), (k) and (p) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB915,23,23 459.10 (1) (d) Been found guilty of an offense the circumstances of which substantially relate to the practice of fitting and dealing in hearing aids instruments.

AB915,23,25 (e) Violated this subchapter or ch. 440 or any federal or state statute or rule which relates to the practice of fitting and dealing in hearing aids instruments.

AB915,24,2 (j) Engaged in conduct which evidenced a lack of knowledge or ability to apply principles or skills of the practice of fitting and dealing in hearing aids instruments.

AB915,24,6 (k) Engaged in unprofessional conduct. In this subsection, "unprofessional conduct" means the violation of any standard of professional behavior which through experience, state statute or administrative rule has become established in the practice of fitting and dealing in hearing aids instruments.

AB915,24,9 (p) Sold a hearing aid instrument to a person who was not given tests using appropriate procedures and instrumentation or without proper measurement of the functional intensity and range of the person's hearing.

AB915, s. 72 Section 72 . 459.14 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB915,24,14 459.14 (2) This subchapter does not apply to a person engaged in the practice of measuring human hearing for selecting hearing aids instruments or any other purpose if the person or the organization employing such person does not sell hearing aids instruments or hearing accessories.

AB915, s. 73 Section 73 . 459.22 (1) of the statutes is repealed.

AB915, s. 74 Section 74 . 459.22 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB915,24,19 459.22 (2) (b) Authorize an individual licensed under this subchapter to dispense or sell hearing aids instruments without obtaining a hearing instrument specialist license under subch. I.

AB915, s. 75 Section 75 . 459.22 (2) (b) of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Acts 49 and .... (this act), is repealed and recreated to read:

AB915,24,24 459.22 (2) (b) Authorize a speech-language pathologist licensed under this subchapter to dispense or sell hearing instruments without obtaining a hearing instrument specialist license under subch. I.

AB915, s. 76 Section 76 . 459.22 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB915,25,4 459.22 (2) (c) Require a hearing instrument specialist licensed under subch. I to be licensed as an audiologist under this subchapter to engage in the testing of hearing or in other practices or procedures solely for the purpose of fitting or selling hearing aids instruments.

AB915, s. 77 Section 77 . 459.24 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB915,25,8 459.24 (1m) Prohibited titles. No person may use the title "certified hearing aid audiologist" or, "certified hearing instrument audiologist", "licensed hearing aid audiologist" or "licensed hearing instrument audiologist".

AB915, s. 78 Section 78 . Subchapter III of chapter 459 [precedes 459.40] of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Act 27, is repealed.

Note: The provisions in Sections 1 to 4 , 6, 7 , 11, 23 , 24 (as it relates to the striking of "459.46"), 25 (as it relates to the striking of "459.46"), 27 , 70, 73 , 75 and 78 remove outdated provisions of subch. III of ch. 459 of the statutes and s. 440.04 (8) of the statutes, relating to the registration of speech and language pathologists and audiologists. Currently these professionals must be licensed under subch. II of ch. 459 of the statutes. These licensing requirements became effective on July 1, 1993.

AB915, s. 79 Section 79 . 968.27 (7) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB915,25,13 968.27 (7) (b) A hearing aid instrument or similar device being used to correct subnormal hearing to not better than normal.

Note: The provisions in Sections 5, 8 , 9, 13 , 16, 21 , 22, 55 to 69, 71 , 72, 74 , 76, 77 and 79 change outdated statutory references to "hearing aid" to the new term "hearing instruments".

AB915, s. 80 Section 80. Initial applicability; regulation and licensing.

AB915,25,17 (1) Physician and podiatrist continuing education. The treatment of section 448.13 (1) of the statutes first applies to applications that are submitted to renew licenses that expire on November 1, 1999.

AB915, s. 81 Section 81. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

AB915,26,2 (1) The repeal and recreation of sections 459.02, 459.03 (1), 459.09 and 459.22 (2) (b) of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 1998.

AB915,26,3 (End)