96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB2444


 
Introduced 2/19/2009, by Rep. Dan Reitz - Angelo Saviano - Arthur L. Turner
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		








  



225 ILCS 50/3
  from Ch. 111, par. 7403



225 ILCS 50/9.5 new










    Amends the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act. Provides that a trainee shall perform the functions of a hearing instrument dispenser in accordance with the Department rules and only under the direct supervision of a licensed hearing instrument dispenser. Provides that the licensed hearing instrument dispenser shall give final approval to all work performed by the trainee and shall be physically present at the time any  hearing instrument or hearing aid is delivered to the client. Provides that the Department shall establish by rule a training program for trainees that shall be at least 12 months in length. Provides that the Department may limit the number of trainees that may be under the direct supervision of the same licensed hearing instrument dispenser. Defines "trainee" and "direct supervision".
















LRB096 07727 ASK 17828 b

















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











HB2444

LRB096 07727 ASK 17828 b






1
    AN ACT concerning regulation.

 
2
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3
represented in the General Assembly:


 
4
    Section 5. The Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act 
5
is amended  by changing Sections 3 and 9 and  by adding Section 
6
9.5 as follows:
 



7
    (225 ILCS 50/3)  (from Ch. 111, par. 7403)



8
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2016)

9
    Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act, except as the 
10
context
requires otherwise:

11
    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.

12
    "Director" means the Director of the Department of Public 
13
Health.

14
    "License" means a license
issued by the State under this

15
Act to a hearing instrument dispenser.

16
    "Licensed Audiologist" means a person
licensed
as an 
17
audiologist under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and 
18
Audiology
Practice Act.

19
    "National Board Certified Hearing Instrument
Specialist" 
20
means a person
who has had at least 2 years in practice as a 
21
licensed hearing
instrument dispenser and has
been certified 
22
after qualification by examination by the National Board for

23
Certification in Hearing Instruments Sciences.

 


 






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1
    "Licensed physician" or "physician" means a physician 
2
licensed
in Illinois to
practice medicine in all of its 
3
branches.

4
    "Trainee" means a person who performs the functions of a 
5
hearing instrument dispenser in accordance with the Department 
6
rules and only under the direct supervision of a licensed 
7
hearing instrument dispenser. 
8
    "Board" means the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection

9
Board.

10
    "Hearing instrument" or "hearing aid" means any instrument 
11
or
device
designed, intended,
or offered for the purpose of 
12
improving a person's hearing and any parts,
attachments,
or

13
accessories, including earmold.
Batteries, cords, and 
14
individual or group auditory training devices and any

15
instrument or device used by a public utility in providing 
16
telephone or
other communication services are excluded.

17
    "Practice of fitting, dispensing, or servicing of hearing

18
instruments" means
the measurement of human hearing with an

19
audiometer, calibrated to
the current American National 
20
Standard Institute standards, for the
purpose of making 
21
selections, recommendations, adaptions, services, or sales of

22
hearing instruments including the making of earmolds as a part 
23
of the hearing
instrument.

24
    "Sell" or "sale" means any transfer of title or of the 
25
right to use
by lease, bailment, or any other contract, 
26
excluding wholesale transactions
with distributors or dealers.

 


 






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1
    "Hearing instrument dispenser" means a person who
is a 
2
hearing care professional that engages
in the selling,
practice 
3
of fitting, selecting, recommending, dispensing, or servicing

4
of hearing instruments or the testing for means of hearing

5
instrument selection or who
advertises or displays a sign or 
6
represents himself or herself as a person
who
practices the 
7
testing, fitting, selecting, servicing, dispensing,
or selling 
8
of hearing instruments.

9
    "Fund" means the Hearing Instrument Dispenser Examining

10
and Disciplinary Fund.

11
    "Hearing Care Professional" means a person who is a 
12
licensed
audiologist, a licensed hearing instrument dispenser, 
13
or a licensed
physician.

14
(Source: P.A. 89-72, eff. 12-31-95.)

 
15
    (225 ILCS 50/9.5  new)
16
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2016)
17
    Sec. 9.5. Trainees. 
18
    (a) A trainee shall perform the functions of a hearing 
19
instrument dispenser in accordance with the Department rules 
20
and only under the direct supervision of a licensed hearing 
21
instrument dispenser. For the purposes of this Section, "direct 
22
supervision" means that  the licensed hearing instrument 
23
dispenser shall give final approval to all work performed by 
24
the trainee and shall be physically present at the time any  
25
hearing instrument or hearing aid is delivered to the client. 
 


 






HB2444
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1
The licensed hearing instrument dispenser is responsible for 
2
all of the work that is performed by the trainee.
3
    (b) The Department shall establish by rule a training 
4
program for trainees that shall be at least 12 months in 
5
length.
6
    (c) The Department may limit the number of trainees that 
7
may be under the direct supervision of the same licensed 
8
hearing instrument dispenser.