TITLE 54

PROFESSIONS, VOCATIONS, AND BUSINESSES

CHAPTER 29

SPEECH AND HEARING SERVICES PRACTICE ACT

54-2908.  Speech, hearing and communication services licensure board. (1) There is hereby established in the division of occupational and professional licenses a speech, hearing and communication services licensure board. The board shall consist of seven (7) members appointed by the governor. The governor may consider recommendations for appointment to the board from the Idaho speech, language, hearing association, inc. (ISHA), any Idaho association of hearing aid dealers and fitters, any Idaho association of sign language interpreters and any individual residing in this state. Two (2) members of the board shall be speech-language pathologists, one (1) member shall be licensed as a sign language interpreter, two (2) members shall be audiologists, one (1) member shall be a hearing aid dealer and fitter, and one (1) member shall be appointed from the public at large. Each nonpublic member shall:

(a)  Have been a resident of the state of Idaho for no less than one (1) year immediately preceding his or her appointment;

(b)  Have been engaged in rendering services to the public, teaching, or performing research in the field of audiology, speech-language pathology, sign language interpreting, or hearing aid dealing and fitting for a period of not less than five (5) years preceding his or her appointment;

(c)  Be a currently practicing audiologist, speech-language pathologist, sign language interpreter, or hearing aid dealer and fitter; and

(d)  At all times during such appointment to the board, maintain a valid license in audiology, speech-language pathology, sign language interpreting, or hearing aid dealing and fitting, except for the first appointees who shall meet the eligibility requirements for licensure as specified in this chapter at all times after initial appointment.

(2)  The public member appointed as provided herein shall have been a resident of the state of Idaho for not less than one (1) year immediately preceding his appointment. Further, such public member shall not be associated with or financially interested in the practice or business of audiology, speech-language pathology, sign language interpreting, or hearing aid dealing and fitting, nor shall such public member be engaged in an allied or related profession or occupation.

(3)  Members shall serve a term of three (3) years at the pleasure of the governor. In the event of a vacancy other than expiration of a term, the governor shall appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(4)  Members shall disqualify themselves and, upon the motion of any interested party may, upon proper showing, be disqualified in any proceeding concerning which they have an actual conflict of interest or bias that interferes with their fair and impartial service.

History:

[54-2908, added 2005, ch. 277, sec. 2, p. 857; am. 2008, ch. 64, sec. 1, p. 167; am. 2017, ch. 67, sec. 5, p. 161; am. 2021, ch. 222, sec. 25, p. 638.]