Did you know?
14% of Delaware's population has some form of hearing loss.
Past consumer protection action
January 14, 2022. NAAG Responds to FDA’s Comment Request on New Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Rules.
“In response to a request for comments from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding new rules regulating over-the-counter hearing aids, NAAG submitted comments encouraging the FDA to take the below steps to ensure that states maintain a role as regulators in this emerging market.”
Latest 2023 legislative news
HB 208. Sponsor: Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton
This bill modifies the speech and language pathologist and audiologist licensing provisions in Delaware, generally bringing them in line with neighboring states.
This bill introduces a variety of changes to the speech therapist and audiologist statutes in Delaware.
It removes definitions for and references to audiology aides and speech pathology aides, which are not licensed by the board.
The bill slightly refines the definition of hearing aid, and adds the practice of hearing aid dispensing as a practice within audiology. This practice is largely limited to fitting, adapting, and selling hearing aids, with any serious hearing issues encountered being within the realm of audiologists. Hearing aid dispensers are also made subject to the standards of the International Hearing Society.
The board of licensure's organizational provisions are slightly simplified.
The qualifications for speech/language pathologists are replaced with simply being in line with American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification. The same is done for audiologists, with the exception that those audiologists licensed before 2009 who have maintained good standing are exempt.
Reciprocity standards for all professions licensed by the board are entirely replaced, with the new standard being reciprocity granted for members in good standing for all states with substantially similar requirements, and a 5 year practice requirement for all states with less stringent requirements.
The bill also makes provisions for applicants seeking licensure with degrees from foreign institutions, provided they take an evaluation demonstrating comparable competence and prove substantially similar education.
The bill also modifies provisions for temporary licenses, increasing the allowed yearly renewals to 3 from 1.
The bill removes the statute of limitations on abuse of drugs as grounds for discipline. It also removes censure as a means of discipline, and increases monetary penalty ceiling from $500 to $1,000.
Finally, the informality provision of board hearings and rules of evidence is removed.
The bill does not list a specific effective date.
HB 404. Sponsor: Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown (D)
This measure relates to professional licensure and allows professional licenses to be issued to certain applicants with criminal convictions.
HB 415. Sponsor: Rep. David Bentz (D)
This measure permits specific licensed out-of-state healthcare providers to practice in Delaware.
SB 272. Sponsor: Senator Kyle Evans Gay (D)
This measure provides for the adoption and implementation of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Compact.
This measure adopts and amends codes for the adoption of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Compact.
The compact goes into effect after ten states enact it into law.