Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 3, September 23, 2024
A. Any
individual may apply for a temporary permit, which is to be used solely for the
purpose of gaining the training and experience required to become a licensed
hearing aid specialist in Virginia. The licensed sponsor shall be identified on
the application for a temporary permit and the licensed sponsor shall comply
strictly with the provisions of subdivisions B 1 and B 2 of this section.
1. A temporary permit shall be issued for a
period of 12 months and may be extended once for not longer than six months.
After a period of 18 months an extension is no longer possible and the former
temporary permit holder shall sit for the examination in accordance with this
section.
2. The board may, at its
discretion, extend the temporary permit for a temporary permit holder who
suffers serious personal illness or injury, or death in his immediate family,
or obligation of military service or service in the Peace Corps, or for other
good cause of similar magnitude approved by the board. Documentation of these
circumstances must be received by the board no later than 12 months after the
date of the expiration of the temporary permit or within six months of the
completion of military or Peace Corps service, whichever is later.
B. Every applicant for a temporary
permit shall provide information upon application establishing that:
1. The applicant for a temporary permit is at
least 18 years of age.
2. The
applicant for a temporary permit has successfully completed high school or a
high school equivalency course.
3.
The applicant has not been convicted or found guilty of any crime directly
related to the practice of fitting or dealing in hearing aids, regardless of
the manner of adjudication, in any jurisdiction of the United States. Except
for misdemeanor marijuana convictions and misdemeanor convictions that occurred
five or more years prior to the date of application, with no subsequent
convictions, all criminal convictions shall be considered as part of the
totality of the circumstances of each applicant. Review of prior convictions
shall be subject to the requirements of §
54.1-204
of the Code of Virginia. Any plea of nolo contendere shall be considered a
conviction for purposes of this subdivision. The record of a conviction
authenticated in such form as to be admissible in evidence under the laws of
the jurisdiction where convicted shall be admissible as prima facie evidence of
such conviction or guilt.
4. The
applicant for a temporary permit is in good standing as a licensed hearing aid
specialist in every jurisdiction where licensed. The applicant for a temporary
permit must disclose if he has had a license as a hearing aid specialist that
was suspended, revoked, or surrendered in connection with a disciplinary action
or that has been the subject of discipline in any jurisdiction prior to
applying for licensure in Virginia. At the time of application, the applicant
for a temporary permit must also disclose any disciplinary action taken in
another jurisdiction in connection with the applicant's practice as a hearing
aid specialist. The applicant for a temporary permit must also disclose whether
he has been licensed previously in Virginia as a hearing aid
specialist.
5. The applicant for a
temporary permit has disclosed his physical address. A post office box is not
acceptable.
6. The applicant for a
temporary permit has submitted the required application with the proper fee
referenced in
18VAC80-20-70 and
has signed, as part of the application, a statement that the applicant has read
and understands Chapter 15 (§
54.1-1500 et seq.) of
Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia and this chapter.
C. The licensed hearing aid specialist who
agrees to sponsor the applicant for a temporary permit shall certify on the
application that as sponsor, he:
1. Assumes
full responsibility for the competence and proper conduct of the temporary
permit holder with regard to all acts performed pursuant to the acquisition of
training and experience in the fitting or dealing of hearing aids;
2. Will not assign the temporary permit
holder to carry out independent field work without on-site direct supervision
by the sponsor until the temporary permit holder is adequately trained for such
activity;
3. Will personally
provide and make available documentation, upon request by the board or its
representative, showing the number of hours that direct supervision has
occurred throughout the period of the temporary permit; and
4. Will return the temporary permit to the
department should the training program be discontinued for any
reason.
D. The licensed
sponsor shall provide training and shall ensure that the temporary permit
holder under his supervision gains experience that covers the following
subjects as they pertain to hearing aid fitting and the sale of hearing aids,
accessories, and services:
1. Basic physics of
sound;
2. Basic maintenance and
repair of hearing aids;
3. The
anatomy and physiology of the ear;
4. Introduction to psychological aspects of
hearing loss;
5. The function of
hearing aids and amplification;
6.
Visible disorders of the ear requiring medical referrals;
7. Practical tests utilized for selection or
modification of hearing aids;
8.
Pure tone audiometry, including air conduction, bone conduction, and related
tests;
9. Live voice or recorded
voice speech audiometry, including speech reception threshold testing and
speech discrimination testing;
10.
Masking when indicated;
11.
Recording and evaluating audiograms and speech audiometry to determine the
proper selection and adaptation of hearing aids;
12. Taking earmold impressions;
13. Proper earmold selection;
14. Adequate instruction in proper hearing
aid orientation;
15. Necessity of
proper procedures in after-fitting checkup; and
16. Availability of social service resources
and other special resources for the hearing impaired.
E. The board may make further inquiries and
investigations with respect to the qualifications of the applicant for a
temporary permit or require a personal interview, or both.
F. All correspondence from the board to the
temporary permit holder not otherwise exempt from disclosure, shall be
addressed to both the temporary permit holder and the licensed sponsor and
shall be sent to the business address of the licensed sponsor.
Statutory Authority: §
54.1-201
of the Code of Virginia.
