DE HB171

Removes definitions and licensing requirements for audiology aides and speech pathology aides, as the Board does not regulate these professions.

Adds a detailed definition of "practice of hearing aid dispensing" specifying permissible duties (otoscopic observation, non-diagnostic hearing testing, ear impressions, hearing aid adjustment, instruction) and prohibited activities (cerumen management, tinnitus sound therapy, medical diagnosis statements).

Requires hearing aid dispensers to advise prospective users to consult a physician if eight FDA-defined medical preexisting conditions are detected (congenital ear deformity, drainage, sudden hearing loss, dizziness, unilateral loss, air-bone gap, cerumen accumulation, ear pain).

Amends Board composition to allow one seat to be filled by either an audiologist or hearing aid dispenser, addressing recruitment difficulties for hearing aid dispenser representatives.

Clarifies licensure requirements for speech/language pathologists and audiologists to require current certification from ASHA (or successors) or American Board of Audiology, with proof required at application and first renewal only.