History Of The Board

History of the Hearing Aid Dispensers Examining Committee

In 1970, legislation was passed (Chapter 1514, Statutes of 1970) that added Section 651.4 to Division 2 of the BPC to establish the Hearing Aid Dispensers Examining Committee (HADEC), under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California (MBC). The intent of the HADEC was to prepare, grade, and conduct examinations of applicants for a Hearing Aid Dispenser's license. The MBC was responsible for the HADEC's enforcement program including any disciplinary actions.

In 1988, legislation was passed (SB 225, Chapter 1162, Statutes of 1988), which transferred authority from the MBC to the HADEC, to administer the enforcement program. The legislation also allowed Hearing Aid Dispensers to use fictitious names for fitting and selling hearing aids but prohibited licensees from owning or having interest in a hearing aid dispensing business if their license had been suspended or revoked.

In 1996, SB 1592 (Chapter 441, Statutes of 1996) provided HADEC the authority to adopt, amend or repeal regulations related to the practice of fitting or selling hearing aid devices.

During the 1997-98 legislative session, the HADEC and the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board (SLPAB) were reviewed by the Joint Legislative Sunset Review Committee (Joint Committee). The Joint Committee raised the issue of merging the two programs but voted against the idea. Two bills were introduced in 1998 (SB 1982 and AB 2658) which would have extended the regulation of Hearing Aid Dispensers. One proposal merged the HADEC with the SLPAB, while the other extended the sunset date of the Committee. Both bills failed and the HADEC was sunset.

In 1999, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) assumed responsibility for regulating hearing aid dispensing.

In 2000, legislation was chaptered creating the Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau within DCA and converted the former Commission to an Advisory Committee made up of professional members to provide input and recommendations regarding policy and regulatory issues to the DCA Director.

History of the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board (SLPAB)

The SLPAB (formerly a Committee) was created in 1973 and enacted in 1974 under the jurisdiction of the MBC (Chapter 5.3, Statutes of 1974, BPC Section 2530 et seq.). As recently as 2010, the Board regulated the speech-language pathology and audiology, which are two separate professions, each with individual scopes of practice, entry-level requirements, and descriptive titles.

On July 1, 1999, the SLPAB was sunset and became a program under DCA due to the failure of Senate Bill 1982 (merger bill referenced above). Subsequently, Assembly Bill 124, introduced in the 1998-99 legislative session, passed, and restored the SLPAB as a Board effective January 1, 2000.

Merger of the Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau and the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board

On October 11, 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1535 which merged the Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau into the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board to create the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board (Board) (BPC Section 2531), effective January 1, 2010.