The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(1) "Board-approved institution of higher education" means:

(a) An institution offering a program in audiology or speech-language pathology leading to a master's degree or its equivalent, or a doctorate degree or its equivalent, that has been accredited by the council on academic accreditation in audiology and speech-language pathology, or an equivalent program.

(b) An institution offering a speech-language pathology assistant program or a speech, language, and hearing program approved by the state board for community and technical colleges, the higher education coordinating board, or an equivalent body from another state or province. Institutions where education was obtained outside of the United States or Canada has an equivalency determination completed by the board. This program must lead to an associate of arts or sciences degree, certificate of proficiency, or bachelor of arts or sciences degree.

(c) A board-approved institution must integrate instruction in multicultural health as part of its basic education preparation curriculum under RCW 43.70.615.

(2) "Direct supervision" means the supervisor is on-site and in view during the procedures or tasks.

(3) "Hearing assistive technologies" means assistive listening systems or devices, and other technologies that increase the intelligibility, improves sound quality, or clarity of speech or sounds with or without the presence of background noise where hearing instruments alone may not provide optimal comprehension including, but not limited to, telecoil and Bluetooth.

(4) "Indirect supervision" means the procedures or tasks are performed under the supervising speech-language pathologist's, audiologist's, or hearing aid specialist's overall direction and control and the supervisor is accessible, but the supervisor's presence is not required during the performance of procedures or tasks.

(((4)))(5) "Place or places of business" means a permanent address open to the public, which may include an "establishment" as defined in RCW 18.35.010(6), where a licensee engages in the fitting and dispensing of hearing instruments.

(((5)))(6) "Postgraduate professional work experience" means a supervised full-time professional experience, or the part-time equivalent, as defined in these rules, involving direct patient or client contact, consultations, recordkeeping, and administrative duties relevant to a bona fide program of clinical work. Applicants who obtain an Au.D. at a board-approved institution of higher education are considered to have met the postgraduate professional work experience requirement.

(((6)))(7) "Purchaser" or "buyer" means a patient, client, or legally authorized representative.

In addition to the receipt and disclosure information required by RCW 18.35.030, 18.35.185, 63.14.040 and 63.14.120, every retail agreement for the sale of hearing instruments must contain or have attached the following notice to buyer in twelve point font or larger. The language in part 1 under "Notice to Buyer" is intended to have the same legal effect as the notices required in RCW 63.14.040(2) and 63.14.120(3) and may be substituted for those notices.

The rights summarized in the "Notice to Buyer" must be made known to the purchaser before the contract is executed. The licensee must provide this "Notice to Buyer" in writing to the purchaser. The purchaser must acknowledge receipt of the "Notice to Buyer" by signing his or her name in the designated space following the "Notice to Buyer."

Do not sign this agreement before you read it or if any spaces intended for the agreed terms are blank. You are entitled to receive a copy of this agreement at the time you sign it. The seller's business address must be shown on the agreement.

You may cancel this agreement within three days, without explaining your reasons, if the seller solicited it in person and you signed it at a place other than the seller's business address.

To cancel this agreement without explaining your reasons, you must notify the seller in writing that you are canceling the agreement. You may deliver the written notice to the seller at the seller's business address. Alternatively, you may send the written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the seller at the seller's business address.

Your written notice must be postmarked or delivered by midnight of the third business day after you signed this agreement.

Any merchandise you received under this agreement must be in its original condition. You must return it to the seller's business address or make it available to the seller at the same place it was delivered to you.

The seller must refund to you all deposits, including any down payment, and must return to you all goods traded in as part of the agreement.

You will incur no additional liability for canceling the agreement.

You may rescind (or terminate) the agreement within thirty days, for reasonable cause. This thirty-day period is called the "rescission period."

To rescind this agreement, you must notify the seller in writing that you are rescinding the agreement for reasonable cause pursuant to RCW 18.35.185(1). (Reasonable cause does not include cosmetic concerns or a mere change of mind.) You may deliver the written notice to the seller at the seller's business address. Alternatively, you may send the written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the seller at the seller's business address.

Your written notice must be postmarked or delivered by midnight of the thirtieth day after delivery of the hearing instrument.

Any merchandise you received under this agreement must be in its original condition, except for normal wear and tear. You must return it to the seller's business address or make it available to the seller at the same place it was delivered to you.

The seller must refund to you all deposits, including any down payment, and must return to you all goods traded in as part of the agreement. However, for each hearing instrument you return, the seller may keep either one hundred fifty dollars or fifteen percent of the total purchase price, whichever is less, plus the price originally charged for custom-made earmolds.

The seller must refund your money and return your traded goods, or have them postmarked and in the mail to you, within ten business days after receiving your notice of rescission.

You will incur no additional liability for rescinding the agreement.

If you notify the seller within the thirty-day rescission period that your hearing instrument has developed a problem that constitutes reasonable cause to rescind the agreement or that prevents you from evaluating your hearing instrument, the seller must extend the rescission period. The rescission period stops running on the date you notify the seller of the problem and starts running again on the date the seller notifies you that your hearing instrument is ready for redelivery.

You and the seller may agree to a rescission period longer than thirty days.

Whenever the rescission period is extended, the seller must provide you written notice of the last date upon which you may demand a refund and return of traded goods.