Title 43, Chapter 44, Section 7
( 43-44-7)
(a) No person shall practice or hold himself or herself out as being
able to practice speech-language pathology or audiology in this
state unless that person is licensed in accordance with this
chapter. Nothing in this chapter, however, shall be construed so as
to prevent a person licensed under any other law of this state from
operating within the scope of that person's license. (b)(1) Licensure is not required of a speech-language pathologist
certified by the Department of Education or Professional Standards
Commission or successor agency while that person is working as an
employee of an educational institution, provided that no fees are
charged for the services either directly or through a third party,
except for Medicaid. (2) Registration as a speech-language pathology aide is not
required of a public education communication aide while that
person is working as an employee of an educational institution,
provided that no fees are charged for the services either directly
or through a third party. (c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent
participation by a student, intern, or fellow in supervised clinical
services which are directly related to meeting the qualifications
for licensure as stipulated by this chapter. (d) Licensees shall conspicuously post their speech-language
pathology or audiology license at all times in their principal
office or place of business. (e) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to entitle any person
licensed under this chapter to engage in the practice of selling and
dispensing hearing aids unless such person is licensed as an
audiologist under this chapter. (f) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit in any way
the rights of hearing aid dealers or dispensers licensed under the
laws of this state. (g) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to restrict hearing
testing or any other act by a physician licensed under Chapter 34 of
this title operating within the scope of his or her license or the
performing of hearing testing by persons acting under the
supervision of a licensed physician, provided that the physician
must be on the premises while such acts are being performed. (h) A person who is not licensed as an audiologist may perform
nondiagnostic electro-physiologic screening of the auditory system,
using otoacoustic emissions or auditory brainstem response
technology, as part of a planned and organized screening effort for
the initial identification of communication disorders in infants
under the age of three months, provided that: (1) The person not licensed as an audiologist has completed a
procedure specific training program directed by an audiologist
licensed under this chapter; (2) The screening equipment and protocol used are fully automated
and the protocol is not accessible for alteration or adjustment by
the person not licensed as an audiologist; (3) The results of the screening are determined automatically by
the programmed test equipment, without discretionary judgment by
the person not licensed as an audiologist, and are only reported
as "pass or fail" or "pass or refer"; (4) An audiologist licensed under this chapter is responsible for
the training of the person not licensed as an audiologist, the
selection of the screening program protocol, the determination of
administration guidelines, the periodic monitoring of the
performance of the person not licensed as an audiologist, and the
screening program results; and (5) The participation of the person not licensed as an audiologist
in such an automated screening program is limited to the recording
of patient demographic information; the application of earphones,
electrodes, and other necessary devices; the initiation of the
test; the recording of the results; and the arrangement of the
referral for those who do not pass the screening to an audiologist
licensed under this chapter for follow-up evaluation. |