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LD1413 • 2025

An Act to Amend Laws Governing Hearing Aid Dealers to Allow an Exception to Certain Hearing Examination Requirements

An Act to Amend Laws Governing Hearing Aid Dealers to Allow an Exception to Certain Hearing Examination Requirements

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senator Richard Bennett
Last action
2025-05-30
Official status
Signed by the Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Amend Laws Governing Hearing Aid Dealers to Allow an Exception to Certain Hearing Examination Requirements

An Act to Amend Laws Governing Hearing Aid Dealers to Allow an Exception to Certain Hearing Examination Requirements Sponsor: Senator Richard Bennett Reference committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Governor action: Signed by the Governor

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Amend Laws Governing Hearing Aid Dealers to Allow an Exception to Certain Hearing Examination Requirements Sponsor: Senator Richard Bennett Reference committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Governor action: Signed by the Governor

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR2118(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR2118(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 1413 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • S- ) 3HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-30 Governor

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2025-05-27 House

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-05-27 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.

  4. 2025-05-15 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM

  5. 2025-04-23 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2025-04-23 Committee

    Voted; OTP-AM

  7. 2025-04-01 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Amend Laws Governing Hearing Aid Dealers to Allow an Exception to Certain Hearing Examination Requirements
Sponsor:
Senator Richard Bennett
Reference committee:
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Governor action:
Signed by the Governor

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR2118(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
S.P. 552 - L.D. 1413
An Act to Amend Laws Governing Hearing Aid Dealers to Allow an
Exception to Certain Hearing Examination Requirements
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §17305, sub-§6, ¶K, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 369, Pt. C, §3
and affected by §5, is amended to read:
K. A Except as authorized in this paragraph, a dealer-licensee may not sell or furnish
a hearing aid to a person 18 years of age or younger without a written statement, signed
by a physician with specialized training in the field of otolaryngology, that the person
has had an ear or hearing examination within 90 days of the purchase or furnishing of
the hearing aid and that a hearing aid is recommended for the person. The board shall
adopt rules for the requirements for reexamination. Rules adopted pursuant to this
paragraph are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
The board shall by rule list and define certain medical conditions affecting hearing. If
a dealer has notice of the existence of one or more of the conditions in the case of a
prospective purchaser of a hearing aid, whether by the dealer-licensee’s observation of
the prospective purchaser or by information furnished by the prospective purchaser,
fitting of the hearing aid must be delayed until the purchaser has had an ear or hearing
examination administered by a physician with specialized training in the field of
otolaryngology or by an audiologist who, as a result of such an examination,
recommends in writing a hearing aid for the prospective purchaser. Unless prohibited
by federal law or regulation, a dealer-licensee may sell or furnish a replacement hearing
aid of the same specifications as the original hearing aid to a prospective purchaser of
any age without evidence that the prospective purchaser has had a recent ear or hearing
examination if the prospective purchaser typically wears or is currently using a hearing
aid; is seeking to replace a recently lost, stolen, broken or failing hearing aid; and is
unable to attend a hearing examination because the prospective purchaser is too ill or
infirm to do so safely.
Nothing in this This chapter may not be construed to require an ear or hearing
examination by a physician or audiologist of a person who objects to the examination
APPROVED
MAY 30, 2025
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
166
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR2118(03)
on the grounds that the examination conflicts with the tenets and practices of a church
or religious denomination of which the person is a member or adherent.