BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 933
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 28, 2011

              ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS AND CONSUMER 
                                     PROTECTION
                                 Mary Hayashi, Chair
                     SB 933 (Runner) - As Amended:  April 5, 2011

           SENATE VOTE  :   40-0
           
          SUBJECT  :   Speech-language pathology and audiology: hearing aid 
          dispensers.

           SUMMARY  :   Repeals the Hearing Aid Dispensers Licensing Law 
          (HADLL) and recasts those provisions into the Speech-Language 
          Pathologists and Audiologists and Hearing Aid Dispensers 
          Licensure Act, and renames the Speech-Language Pathology and 
          Audiology Fund (SLPAF) to the Speech-Language Pathology and 
          Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Fund (Fund). 

           EXISTING LAW  : 

          1)Establishes the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and 
            Hearing Aid Dispensers Board (Board) to regulate the practice 
            of speech-language pathologists, audiologists and hearing aid 
            dispensers.

          2)Establishes the Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists 
            Licensure Act to regulate the practices of speech-language 
            pathology and audiology.  

          3)Establishes the HADLL which provides for the licensure and 
            regulation of hearing aid dispensers.

          4)Establishes the Hearing Aid Dispensers Account (HADA) under 
            the SLPAF.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown

           COMMENTS  :   

           Purpose of this bill  .  According to the author's office, "SB 933 
          is a cleanup measure that serves to merge and consolidate the 
          relevant Practice Acts for speech-language pathologists, 
          audiologists, and hearing aid dispensers.  AB 1535 (Jones), 
          Chapter 309, Statutes of 2009, merged the Speech-Language 








                                                                  SB 933
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          Pathology and Audiology Board (SLPAB), and the Hearing Aid 
          Dispensers Bureau (HADB) to form the Board, effective January 1, 
          2010.  However, AB 1535 did not merge or consolidate the 
          relevant Practices Acts and, as such, many of the existing 
          provisions regarding the Board's administrative oversight are 
          either redundant or obsolete.

          "This bill is not intended to change or alter any of the 
          licensing or enforcement provisions governing the professions, 
          but instead will provide technical cleanup regarding the 
          governance structure and oversight of the Board.  The provisions 
          of SB 933 will make necessary technical changes relative to 
          combining the laws applicable to speech-language pathologists, 
          audiologists, and hearing aid dispensers.  The cleanup 
          provisions will clarify the Board's oversight responsibilities 
          for the three governed professions and will eliminate 
          duplicative and obsolete laws that are no longer applicable 
          pursuant to the merger of SLPAB and HADB.   

           Background  .  AB 1535 merged SLPAB and HADB to form the Board, as 
          of January 1, 2010.  AB 1535 also permitted audiologists to sell 
          hearing aids without a separate hearing aid dispenser's license. 
           However, AB 1535 did not merge and consolidate the relevant 
          Practice Acts.  The author's office notes that this bill is a 
          cleanup measure that will remove redundant and obsolete 
          provisions in existing law related to the Board.  The Board 
          regulates audiologists, who treat individuals with hearing, 
          balance, and ear-related problems, and fit hearing aids, and the 
          Board regulates hearing aid dispensers who sell hearing aids.   
          The Board also regulates speech-language pathologists who treat 
          speech, voice, language, and swallowing disorders.

           Support  .  According to the sponsor, the Board, "The provisions 
          of SB 933 simply clarify the oversight responsibility of the 
          merged Board which was consolidated under AB 1535.  Both the 
          Legislature and the Administration supported the provisions of 
          AB 1535 with respect to the merger of the two oversight agencies 
          and the elimination of dual licensure for dispensing 
          audiologists, however, due to last minute amendments regarding 
          the governance structure of the Board, there was not sufficient 
          time within the legislative process to make clarifying changes 
          with regard to consolidating the Practice Acts. As such, 
          existing laws include duplicative and obsolete administrative 
          oversight provisions.  









                                                                  SB 933
                                                                  Page  3

          "SB 933 will also consolidate the HADA under the SLPAF and 
          create the Fund.  The consolidation of funds will enable the 
          Board to provide a solvent funding source for each of its 
          respective programs:  enforcement, licensing, and examinations, 
          and will enable the Board to devote the necessary funding to the 
          appropriate program areas while maintaining an adequate 
          accounting of the revenue source."

           Previous Legislation  . AB 1535 (Jones), Chapter 309, Statutes of 
          2009, merged the SLPAB and the HADB to form the Board, as of 
          January 1, 2010 and permitted audiologists to sell hearing aids 
          without a separate hearing aid dispenser's license. 
          
           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid 
          Dispensers Board (sponsor)
           
            Opposition 
           
          None on file. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Joanna Gin / B.,P. & C.P. / (916) 
          319-3301