CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR

HEARING AID DEALERS AND SALESPERSONS

House Bill 6180

Sponsor:  Rep. Pam Byrnes

Committee:  Regulatory Reform

Complete to 9-23-08

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 6180 AS INTRODUCED 5-22-08

The bill would require a hearing aid dealer, hearing aid salesperson, and a trainee to complete continuing education courses as a condition for license renewal.

House Bill 6180 would amend the Occupational Code (MCL 339.1305, 339.1307, and 339.1308) to require, as a condition for the renewal of licensure as a hearing aid dealer or hearing aid salesperson, that a licensee complete at least 24 clock hours of continuing education since his or her initial licensure or since the most recent license renewal.  In addition, an active trainee licensee would have to have completed at least 12 clock hours of continuing education since the license was issued or since the most recent renewal.

The continuing education courses would have to meet the following requirements:

·                    Be not less than one clock hour in length.

·                    Be completed at any time following the expiration of the licensee's previous license and the time the licensee applied for renewal.

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

·                    Be approved by the Department of Labor and Economic Growth under Section 314.[1]

Further, the act currently requires an applicant for a license as a hearing aid dealer to have served as a licensed hearing aid salesperson for a period of two years under the direction and supervision of a licensed hearing aid dealer.  The bill would specify that the applicant must present evidence acceptable to the department that he or she fulfilled that requirement. Lastly, the bill would make numerous revisions of an editorial nature to update and clarify provisions.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would increase the administrative costs of the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Bureau of Commercial Services, by an indeterminate, though not likely significant amount.  The bureau would incur costs to approve continuing education courses that may be provided, as well as ensuring annual license renewal applications meet the continuing education requirements

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Susan Stutzky

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Mark Wolf

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

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