Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 118 3
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By: Senator C. Penzo 5
By: Representative Bentley 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "AUDIOLOGY" 9
RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF AUDIOLOGISTS; AND FOR 10
OTHER PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "AUDIOLOGY" 15
RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF 16
AUDIOLOGISTS. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 17-100-103(2), concerning the definition of 21
"audiology", is amended to read as follows: 22
(2)(A) “Audiology” means the application of principles, methods, 23
and procedures of measurement, testing, evaluation, prediction, consultation, 24
counseling, instruction, habilitation, or rehabilitation related to hearing 25
and balance disorders of the auditory system for the purpose of evaluating, 26
identifying, preventing, ameliorating, or modifying such disorders and 27
conditions in individuals and groups of individuals , including: 28
(i) Evaluating, diagnosing, managing, and treating 29
auditory or vestibular conditions in the human ear; 30
(ii) Prescribing, ordering, selling, dispensing, or 31
fitting hearing aids to an individual for the correction or relief of a 32
condition for which hearing aids are worn; and 33
(iii) Prescribing, ordering, selling, dispensing, or 34
externally fitting a sound processor to: 35
(a) An osseointegrated device for the 36 SB118
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correction or relief of a condition for which osseointegrated devices are 1
worn; or 2
(b) A cochlear implant for the correction or 3
relief of a condition for which cochlear implants are worn. 4
(B) "Audiology" includes without limitation: 5
(i) Conducting health screenings; 6
(ii) Removing a foreign body or cerumen from the 7
external auditory canal; 8
(iii) Ordering cultures and bloodwork testing; 9
(iv) Ordering and performing in -office 10
nonradiographic scanning or imaging of the external auditory canal; and 11
(v) Ordering radiographic imaging. 12
(C) "Audiology" does not include: 13
(i) Surgery using an instrument, including a laser, 14
scalpel, needle, cautery, cryoprobe, or suture, in which human tissue is cut, 15
burned, vaporized, removed, or otherwise permanently altered by mechanical 16
means, laser, ionizing radiation, ultrasound, or other means; 17
(ii) Osseointegrated device surgery; 18
(iii) Cochlear implant surgery; or 19
(iv) The preparation, operation, or performance of 20
radiographic imaging ; 21
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 17 -100-103, concerning definitions relating 23
to speech-language pathologists and audiologists, is amended to add an 24
additional subdivision to read as follows: 25
(9) "Sound processor" means a nonsurgical, external unit that 26
attaches to an internal osseointegrated device or cochlear implant. 27
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