Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 517 of the Regular Session
*JMB092* 03-17-2025 12:20:09 JMB092
State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H3/17/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 118 3
4
By: Senator C. Penzo 5
By: Representative Bentley 6
7
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
12
13
Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "AUDIOLOGY" 15
RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF 16
AUDIOLOGISTS. 17
18
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
20
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 As Engrossed: H3/17/25 SB118
2 03-17-2025 12:20:09 JMB092
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: 5
(i) Conducting health screenings; 6
(ii) Removing a foreign body or cerumen from the 7
external auditory canal; 8
(iii) Ordering but not interpreting cultures and 9
bloodwork testing solely as relating to the auditory or vestibular conditions 10
in the human ear; 11
(iv) Ordering and performing in -office 12
nonradiographic testing of the external auditory canal solely for the 13
evaluation of hearing and balance disorders; and 14
(v) Ordering but not interpreting radiographic 15
imaging solely as relating to the auditory or vestibular conditions in the 16
human ear. 17
(C) "Audiology" does not include: 18
(i) Surgery using an instrument, including a laser, 19
scalpel, needle, cautery, cryoprobe, or suture, in which human tissue is cut, 20
burned, vaporized, removed, or otherwise permanently altered by mechanical 21
means, laser, ionizing radiation, ultrasound, or other means; 22
(ii) Osseointegrated device surgery; 23
(iii) Cochlear implant surgery; 24
(iv) The preparation, operation, or performance of 25
radiographic imaging; or 26
(v) The use or interpretation of cultures, bloodwork 27
testing, or radiographic imaging to diagnose or treat; 28
29
SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 17 -100-103, concerning definitions relating 30
to speech-language pathologists and audiologists, is amended to add an 31
additional subdivision to read as follows: 32
(9) "Sound processor" means a nonsurgical, external unit that 33
attaches to an internal osseointegrated device or cochlear implant. 34
35
36 As Engrossed: H3/17/25 SB118
3 03-17-2025 12:20:09 JMB092
1
APPROVED: 4/10/25 2
3