AN ACT relating to the practice of audiology.

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AN ACT relating to the practice of audiology. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 334A.020 is amended to read as follows: 3
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires: 4
(1) "Assisting in the practice of speech pathology" means the provision of certain 5
specific components of a speech or language service program provided by a speech-6
language pathology assistant under the supervision and direction of an appropriately 7
qualified supervisor; 8
(2) "Audiologist" means one who is licensed to practice audiology. An audiologist may 9
describe himself or hersel f to the public by any title or description of services 10
incorporating the words "audiologist," "audiology," "audiological," "hearing 11
center," "hearing clinic," "hearing clinician," "hearing therapist," "audiometry," 12
"audiometrist," "audiometrics," "otometr y," "otometrist," "aural rehabilitationist," 13
or "hearing conservationist"; 14
(3) "Board" means the Kentucky Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; 15
(4) "Continuing professional education" in speech -language pathology and audiology 16
consists of planned learning experiences beyond a basic educational program 17
leading to a degree. These experiences are designed to promote knowledge, skills, 18
and attitudes of sp eech-language pathology and audiology practitioners to enable 19
them to provide professional services in their areas of training that are based on 20
current research and best practices; 21
(5) "Interim license" means a license issued by the board pursuant to KRS 334A.035 to 22
a person for the purpose of completing the supervised postgraduate professional 23
experience required under that section prior to an application for licensure as a 24
speech-language pathologist or a speech-language pathology assistant; 25
(6) "Person" means any individual, organization, or corporate body, except that only 26
individuals can be licensed under this chapter; 27
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(7) "Practice of audiology": 1
(a) Means to: 2
1. Evaluate, diagnose, manage, and treat auditory or vestibular 3
conditions in the human ear; 4
2. Prescribe, order, sell, dispense, or fit hearing aids to an individual for 5
the correction or relief of a condition for which hearing aids are 6
worn; 7
3. Prescribe, order, sell, dispense, or externally fit a sound processor to 8
an osseo -integrated device f or the correction or relief of a condition 9
for which osseo-integrated devices are worn; and 10
4. Prescribe, order, sell, dispense, or externally fit a sound processor to a 11
cochlear implant for the correction or relief of a condition for which 12
cochlear implants are worn; 13
(b) Includes: 14
1. Conducting health screenings; 15
2. Removing a foreign body from the external auditory canal that is not 16
impacted to the point it requires anesthesia; 17
3. Removing cerumen from the external auditory canal that is not 18
impacted to the point it requires anesthesia; 19
4. Ordering cultures and bloodwork testing as it relates to the auditory or 20
vestibular conditions of the human ear; 21
5. Ordering and performing in -office, non -radiographic scanning or 22
imaging of the external auditory canal; 23
6. Ordering radiographic imaging as it relates to the auditory or 24
vestibular conditions in the human ear; and 25
7. Employing, applying, administering, and prescribing topical otologic 26
pharmaceutical agents; and 27
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(c) Does not include: 1
1. Surgery that uses an i nstrument, including a laser, scalpel, needle, 2
cautery, cryoprobe, or suture, in which human tissue is cut, burned, 3
vaporized, removed, or otherwise permanently altered by mechanical 4
means, laser, ionizing radiation, ultrasound, or other means; 5
2. Osseo-integrated device surgery; 6
3. Cochlear implant surgery; 7
4. The preparation, operation, or performance of radiographic 8
imagery[the application of principles, methods, and procedures of 9
measurement, testing, appraisal, prediction, consultation, counseling, 10
and instruction related to hearing and disorders of hearing for the 11
purpose of modifying communicative disorders involving speech, 12
language, auditory behavior, or other aberrant behavior related to 13
hearing loss; planning, directing, conducting, or participati ng in 14
identification and hearing conservation programs; and habilitative and 15
rehabilitative programs, including hearing aid recommendations and 16
evaluation, prescribing, ordering the use of, selling and fitting hearing 17
instruments, including the selling an d fitting of both prescription 18
hearing aids and over -the-counter hearing aids, auditory training, or 19
speech reading]; or 20
5. The independent diagnosis or treatment of suspected malignancies of 21
the ear, external canal, or skull base, which shall be referred to a 22
physician licensed under KRS Chapter 311; 23
(8) "Practice of speech pathology" means the application of principles, methods, and 24
procedures for the measurement, testing, audiometric screening, identification, 25
appraisal, determination of prognosis, evalu ation, consultation, remediation, 26
counseling, instruction, and research related to the development and disorders of 27
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speech, voice, verbal and written language, cognition/communication, or oral and 1
pharyngeal sensorimotor competencies for the purpose of des igning and 2
implementing programs for the amelioration of these disorders and conditions. Any 3
representation to the public by title or by description of services, methods, or 4
procedures for the evaluation, counseling, remediation, consultation, measurement, 5
testing, audiometric screening, identification, appraisal, instruction, and research of 6
persons diagnosed with conditions or disorders affecting speech, voice, verbal, and 7
written language, cognition/communication, or oral and pharyngeal sensorimotor 8
competencies shall be considered to be the practice of speech-language pathology; 9
(9) "Sound processor" means a nonsurgical, external unit that attaches to an 10
internal osseo-integrated device or cochlear implant; 11
(10) "Speech-language pathologist" means one wh o practices speech -language 12
pathology. A speech -language pathologist may describe himself or herself to the 13
public by any title or description of services incorporating the words "speech -14
language pathologist," "speech -language pathology," "speech -language therapy," 15
"speech-language correction," "speech -language correctionist," "speech -language 16
therapist," "speech clinic," "speech clinician," "speech pathologist," "language 17
pathologist," "language pathology," "language therapist," "logopedics," 18
"logopedist," "communicology," "communicologist," "aphasiologist," "voice 19
therapy," "voice therapist," "voice pathology," "voice pathologist," "phoniatrist," 20
"communication disorders," or "verbal therapist"; 21
(11)[(10)] "Speech-language pathology assistant" means one who assists in the practice 22
of speech -language pathology only under the supervision and direction of an 23
appropriately qualified supervisor and only within the public school system in the 24
Commonwealth. Any spe ech-language pathology services provided without 25
appropriate supervision or outside the public school system shall be deemed to be 26
the unlicensed practice of speech -language pathology and shall subject the 27
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offending party to penalties established in KRS 334A.990; 1
(12)[(11)] "Supervisor" means a person who holds a Kentucky license as a speech -2
language pathologist or who holds Education Professional Standards Board master's 3
level certification as a teacher of exceptional children in the areas of speech and 4
communication disorders as established by administrative regulation; and 5
(13)[(12)] "Temporary license" means a license that may be issued by the board 6
administrator pursuant to KRS 334A.181 to any applicant who has met all the 7
requirements for permanent licensure in accordance with that section. 8