PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
(Hearing and Speech)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-828-500, 246-828-510, 246-828-530 and 246-828-550, continuing education requirement for licensed hearing instrument fitter/dispensers, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.35.090.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Participants in the rule review process identified the need for continuing education (CE) rules to be updated. Current mandatory CE rules name only licensed hearing instrument fitter/dispensers, because audiologists and speech-language pathologists were certified rather than licensed at the time the rule was written. In 2002, legislation changed audiologists and speech-language pathologists from certification to licensure. The rules should be updated to include all licensed professions in the WAC chapter. There were concerns that ethics and infection control should specifically be included in the CE rule. Housekeeping changes to combine several related rules into one section will also be discussed during the process.
Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative rule making.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Tracy Hansen, Program Manager, Department of Health, Hearing and Speech Programs, P.O. Box 47869, Olympia, WA 98504-7869, phone (360) 236-4940, fax (360) 236-2406, Tracy.Hansen@doh.wa.gov.
June 8, 2004
M. C. Selecky
Secretary