2530.  This act may be cited as the "Speech-Language Pathologists
and Audiologists Licensure Act."



2530.1.  The Legislature finds and declares that the practice of
speech-language pathology and audiology in California affects the
public health, safety, and welfare and there is a necessity for those
professions to be subject to regulation and control.




2530.2.  As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise
requires:
   (a) "Board" means the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Board or any successor.
   (b) "Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation,
limited liability company, or other organization or combination
thereof, except that only individuals can be licensed under this
chapter.
   (c) A "speech-language pathologist" is a person who practices
speech-language pathology.
   (d) "The practice of speech-language pathology" means the
application of principles, methods, and procedures for measurement,
testing, identification, prediction, counseling, or instruction
related to the development and disorders of speech, voice, or
language for the purpose of identifying, preventing, managing,
habilitating or rehabilitating, ameliorating, or modifying those
disorders and conditions in individuals or groups of individuals;
conducting hearing screenings; and the planning, directing,
conducting and supervision of programs for identification,
evaluation, habilitation, and rehabilitation of disorders of speech,
voice, or language.
   (e) "Speech-language pathology aide" means any person meeting the
minimum requirements established by the board, who works directly
under the supervision of a speech-language pathologist.
   (f) (1) "Speech-language pathology assistant" means a person who
meets the academic and supervised training requirements set forth by
the board and who is approved by the board to assist in the provision
of speech-language pathology under the direction and supervision of
a speech-language pathologist who shall be responsible for the
extent, kind, and quality of the services provided by the
speech-language pathology assistant.
   (2) The supervising speech-language pathologist employed or
contracted for by a public school may hold a valid and current
license issued by the board, a valid, current, and professional clear
clinical or rehabilitative services credential in language, speech,
and hearing issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, or
other credential authorizing service in language, speech, and hearing
issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing that is not issued
on the basis of an emergency permit or waiver of requirements.  For
purposes of this paragraph, a "clear" credential is a credential that
is not issued pursuant to a waiver or emergency permit and is as
otherwise defined by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Nothing in this section referring to credentialed supervising
speech-language pathologists expands existing exemptions from
licensing pursuant to Section 2530.5.
   (g) An "audiologist" is one who practices audiology.
   (h) "The practice of audiology" means the application of
principles, methods, and procedures of measurement, testing,
appraisal, prediction, consultation, counseling, instruction related
to auditory, vestibular, and related functions and the modification
of communicative disorders involving speech, language, auditory
behavior or other aberrant behavior resulting from auditory
dysfunction; and the planning, directing, conducting, supervising, or
participating in programs of identification of auditory disorders,
hearing conservation, cerumen removal, aural habilitation, and
rehabilitation, including, hearing aid recommendation and evaluation
procedures including, but not limited to, specifying amplification
requirements and evaluation of the results thereof, auditory
training, and speech reading.
   (i) "Audiology aide" means any person, meeting the minimum
requirements established by the board, who works directly under the
supervision of an audiologist.
   (j) "Medical board" means the Medical Board of California or a
division of the board.
   (k) A "hearing screening" performed by a speech-language
pathologist means a binary puretone screening at a preset intensity
level for the purpose of determining if the screened individuals are
in need of further medical or audiological evaluation.
   (l) "Cerumen removal" means the nonroutine removal of cerumen
within the cartilaginous ear canal necessary for access in
performance of audiological procedures that shall occur under
physician and surgeon supervision.  Cerumen removal, as provided by
this section, shall only be performed by a licensed audiologist.
Physician and surgeon supervision shall not be construed to require
the physical presence of the physician, but shall include all of the
following:
   (1) Collaboration on the development of written standardized
protocols.  The protocols shall include a requirement that the
supervised audiologist immediately refer to an appropriate physician
any trauma, including skin tears, bleeding, or other pathology of the
ear discovered in the process of cerumen removal as defined in this
subdivision.
   (2) Approval by the supervising physician of the written
standardized protocol.
   (3) The supervising physician shall be within the general
vicinity, as provided by the physician-audiologist protocol, of the
supervised audiologist and available by telephone contact at the time
of cerumen removal.
   (4) A licensed physician and surgeon may not simultaneously
supervise more than two audiologists for purposes of cerumen removal.




2530.3.  (a) A person represents himself or herself to be a
speech-language pathologist when he or she holds himself or herself
out to the public by any title or description of services
incorporating the words "speech pathologist," "speech pathology,"
"speech therapy," "speech correction," "speech correctionist,"
"speech therapist," "speech clinic," "speech clinician," "language
pathologist," "language pathology," "logopedics," "logopedist,"
"communicology," "communicologist," "aphasiologist," "voice therapy,"
"voice therapist," "voice pathology," or "voice pathologist,"
"language therapist," or "phoniatrist," or any similar titles; or
when he or she purports to treat stuttering, stammering, or other
disorders of speech.
   (b) A person represents himself or herself to be an audiologist
when he or she holds himself or herself out to the public by any
title or description of services incorporating the terms "audiology,"
"audiologist," "audiological," "hearing clinic," "hearing clinician,"
"hearing therapist," or any similar titles.



2530.4.  Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as authorizing a
speech-language pathologist or audiologist to practice medicine,
surgery, or any other form of healing, except that authorized by
Section 2530.2.


2530.5.  (a) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as
restricting hearing testing conducted by licensed physicians and
surgeons or by persons conducting hearing tests under the direct
supervision of a physician and surgeon.
   (b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a
licensed hearing aid dispenser from engaging in testing of hearing
and other practices and procedures used solely for the fitting and
selling of hearing aids nor does this chapter restrict persons
practicing their licensed profession and operating within the scope
of their licensed profession or employed by someone operating within
the scope of their licensed professions, including persons fitting
and selling hearing aids who are properly licensed or registered
under the laws of the State of California.
   (c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting or
preventing the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology by
personnel holding the appropriate credential from the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing as long as the practice is conducted within the
confines of or under the jurisdiction of a public preschool,
elementary or secondary school by which they are employed and those
persons do not either offer to render or render speech-language
pathology or audiology services to the public for compensation over
and above the salary they receive from the public preschool
elementary or secondary school by which they are employed for the
performance of their official duties.
   (d) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the
activities and services of a student or speech-language pathology
intern in speech-language pathology pursuing a course of study
leading to a degree in speech-language pathology at an accredited or
approved college or university or an approved clinical training
facility, provided that these activities and services constitute a
part of his or her supervised course of study and that those persons
are designated by the title as "speech-language pathology intern,"
"speech-language pathology trainee," or other title clearly
indicating the training status appropriate to his or her level of
training.
   (e) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the
activities and services of a student or audiology intern in audiology
pursuing a course of study leading to a degree in audiology at an
accredited or approved college or university or an approved clinical
training facility, provided that these activities and services
constitute a part of his or her supervised course of study and that
those persons are designated by the title as "audiology intern,"
"audiology trainee," or other title clearly indicating the training
status appropriate to his or her level of training.
   (f) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the
practice of an applicant who is obtaining the required professional
experience specified in subdivision (d) of Section 2532.2 and who has
been issued a temporary license pursuant to Section 2532.7.  The
number of applicants who may be supervised by a licensed
speech-language pathologist or a speech-language pathologist having
qualifications deemed equivalent by the board shall be determined by
the board.  The supervising speech-language pathologist shall
register with the board the name of each applicant working under his
or her supervision, and shall submit to the board a description of
the proposed professional responsibilities of the applicant working
under his or her supervision.  The number of applicants who may be
supervised by a licensed audiologist or an audiologist having
qualifications deemed equivalent by the board shall be determined by
the board.  The supervising audiologist shall register with the board
the name of each applicant working under his or her supervision, and
shall submit to the board a description of the proposed professional
responsibilities of the applicant working under his or her
supervision.
   The board shall not give any credit for any required professional
experience that is completed in violation of this section.
   (g) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting
hearing screening services in public or private elementary or
secondary schools so long as these screening services are provided by
persons registered as qualified school audiometrists pursuant to
Sections 1685 and 1686 of the Health and Safety Code or hearing
screening services supported by the State Department of Health
Services so long as these screening services are provided by
appropriately trained or qualified personnel.
   (h) Persons employed as speech-language pathologists or
audiologists by a federal agency shall be exempt from this chapter.
   (i) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting
consultation or the instructional or supervisory activities of a
faculty member of an approved or accredited college or university for
the first 60 days following appointment after the effective date of
this subdivision.


2530.6.  Speech-language pathologists and audiologists supervising
speech-language pathology or audiology aides shall register with the
board the name of each aide working under their supervision.  The
number of aides who may be supervised by a licensee shall be
determined by the board.  The supervising audiologist or
speech-language pathologist shall be responsible for the extent,
kind, and quality of services performed by the aide, consistent with
the board's designated standards and requirements.