Summary — SB 2203 (North Dakota): Consolidation of Hearing Aid Specialists Board with Audiology & Speech‑Language Pathology Board
Status
- Introduced: March 11, 2025
- Legislative outcome reported: Second reading — failed to pass (yeas 4, nays 42)
Purpose
- To consolidate the separate Board of Hearing Aid Specialists into the State Board of Examiners on Audiology and Speech‑Language Pathology, revising statutory definitions, membership, and licensure/registration provisions and repealing the standalone statutory sections that governed the hearing aid specialists board.
Key provisions and statutory changes
- Definitions
- Amends 43‑33‑01(1) to redefine “board” for hearing aid specialists by reference to section 43‑37‑02 (i.e., the consolidated board).
- Amends 43‑37‑02(3) so the “board” is explicitly the state board of examiners on audiologists, speech‑language pathologists, and hearing aid specialists.
Licensure / registration (43‑33‑06(1))
- Requires the board to register applicants who pass the hearing aid specialist exam or who are licensed audiologists under chapter 43‑37 (subject to payment of fees established by the board). Licenses remain effective until the expiration date shown.
Board composition and governance (43‑37‑05)
- Replaces the existing board statute to establish a single board responsible for chapters 43‑37 and 43‑33.
- Sets board membership at nine (text shows increase from eight to nine): required member categories include audiologists, speech‑language pathologists, hearing aid specialists (with at least five years’ state experience and not audiologists/otolaryngologists), an otolaryngologist, and consumer member(s). (The amendment changes the mix of professionals and increases consumer representation.)
- Terms: three years, staggered so no more than four terms expire on July 1 each year; appointments by the governor; limit of two successive terms per individual.
- Meetings: at least twice yearly; special meetings by chair or written request of any three members.
- Quorum: five members. For licensure decisions, at least one quorum member must be from the profession sought; for speech‑language pathology assistant licensure, a speech‑language pathologist must be present.
Repeals
- Sections 43‑33‑15 and 43‑33‑17 (statutes specific to the separate Board of Hearing Aid Specialists) are repealed.
Who is affected
- Directly: hearing aid specialists, audiologists, speech‑language pathologists, otolaryngologists, prospective licensees/registrants, and consumer representatives who serve or interact with the board.
- Indirectly: employers, clinics, and vendors regulated by or working with licensed professionals in audiology, speech‑language pathology, and hearing aid dispensing, as well as the board’s administrative staff.
Potential impacts
- Administrative consolidation: oversight of hearing aid specialists would move from a separate board into the combined state board — potentially streamlining processes and reducing duplication.
- Licensing/registration: audiologists licensed under chapter 43‑37 may be eligible for registration as hearing aid specialists without a separate exam (per the amended registration language).
- Board membership changes: altered composition (including increased consumer representation) may shift governance perspectives and decision‑making.
- Repeal of standalone hearing aid board statutes removes legacy provisions, requiring the consolidated board to adopt any needed rules or procedures to cover functions formerly in the repealed sections.
Procedural/timeline notes
- The bill was introduced March 11, 2025. According to the summary header, it failed on second reading (yeas 4, nays 42), so it did not advance into law in this session. No effective-date or transitional language is included in the text provided; if reenacted in future, implementation details (rulemaking, transfer of records/staff, effective dates) would need to be addressed.
