Academy Fights Hearing Aid Specialists Scope Expansion in Nevada

The Academy submitted a letter to the Nevada legislature expressing strong opposition to Assembly Bill 177. The bill proposes expanding the scope of practice for hearing aid specialists, allowing them to perform cerumen management and tinnitus care, areas requiring advanced knowledge and clinical expertise.

The Academy raised concerns that hearing aid specialists, with minimal training, lack the extensive education needed to perform these complex procedures. In contrast, audiologists undergo years of rigorous postgraduate training and are equipped to handle such sensitive tasks. The Academy emphasized that such procedures should remain within the purview of audiologists, who are fully qualified to manage auditory health issues safely. The letter urges Nevada lawmakers to reject this scope expansion for the protection of patient health and safety.

The Academy has also launched a voter voice messaging campaign for Nevada residents to contact representatives on the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor, requesting that the bill not be voted out of committee. This action is intended to stop the expansion of the Hearing Aid Specialists’ scope of practice in its tracks and ensure that only properly trained professionals provide these services.

Updates

In late March, the Nevada Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensing Board held an emergency meeting to address concerns raised by stakeholders regarding proposed scope expansions for hearing aid dispensers. As a result of this meeting, the board voted to remove language that would have allowed hearing aid dispensers to perform cerumen management and tinnitus treatment procedures that fall squarely within the audiologist’s scope of practice. The amended bill, reflecting the removal of these provisions, was approved by the Nevada Assembly, and is now advancing to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor for further consideration. The Academy will continue to monitor this legislation closely and advocate for clear, responsible scope-of-practice boundaries that protect patients.