Hearing aid dispensers.

Existing law generally regulates the licensing and oversight of hearing aid dispensers by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Existing law imposes various requirements regarding the place of business of a "licensee," which is defined as person holding a hearing aid dispenser license. Existing law defines a "hearing aid dispenser" as a person engaged in the practice of fitting or selling hearing aids to an individual with impaired hearing. This bill would specify that some of those provisions apply to hearing aid dispensers instead of licensees, and would change some of those provisions so they apply to an address or addresses instead of a place of business. Existing law requires a licensee to apply for and procure a duplicate license if the licensee maintains more than one place of business, as specified. Existing law authorizes a hearing aid dispenser to engage on a temporary basis in the practice of fitting or selling hearing aids at the primary or branch location of another licensee's business without obtaining a duplicate license if certain requirements are satisfied. This bill would instead require a hearing aid dispenser engaged in the practice of fitting or selling hearing aids at more than one place of business to apply for and procure a branch office license, as specified. The bill would define "temporary basis" for purposes of the provisions described above.