CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR

HEARING AID DEALERS

House Bill 5331

Sponsor: Rep. Andrew Richner

Committee: Health Policy

Complete to 8-28-00

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5331 AS INTRODUCED 2-9-00

The bill would amend the Occupational Code to require the completion of a prescribed number of hours of continuing education courses as a condition for license renewal for hearing aid dealers and salespersons and also for the renewal of an active trainee license. A hearing aid dealer or salesperson would have to successfully complete at least 24 clock hours of continuing education since the date of the person's initial licensure or most recent license renewal. A trainee would have to successfully complete at least 12 clock hours of continuing education since the license was issued or since the most recent renewal. At a minimum, continuing education courses would have to:

1. be not less than two clock hours in length;

1. be completed at any time following the expiration of the licensee's previous license and the time the licensee applied for renewal;


2. be designed to maintain and improve the licensee's skill, knowledge, and competency in the practice of selling or fitting a hearing aid; and


3. be approved by the Department of Consumer and Industry Services under Section 314 of the code, which pertains to recommendations to the department on continuing education programs.

Further, the code currently places responsibility for certain duties on both the department and the Board of Hearing Aid Dealers. The bill would delete certain references to the board.

MCL 339.1305 et al.

Analyst: S. Stutzky