Protect Audiology Licensure in Utah

The Utah Office of Professional Licensure Review (OPLR) has recommended a drastic change that would eliminate professional licensure for audiologists and speech-language pathologists and replace it with a “mandatory certification” model. This proposal is currently under review by the Utah Business and Labor Interim Committee, which is expected to discuss drafting legislation at its next meeting on Wednesday, November 19. If adopted, this proposal would remove critical oversight, weaken patient protections, and jeopardize access tocare across Utah. Licensure is essential to ensuring that only qualified, accountable professionals provide hearing, balance, swallowing, and communication care. Critically, eliminating licensure could also jeopardize Utahns’ access to insurance coverage—including Medicare and Medicaid—for audiology and speech-language pathology services.

For providers (or facilities) to bill Medicare or Medicaid—and for patients to receive benefits—they must meet both federal and state requirements. This includes holding an active, valid state license in the state where services are provided. If licensure is removed, or if state law no longer meets federal program requirements, providers may lose their eligibility to bill these programs, potentially cutting off patient access to covered care.

OPLR’s recommendations would dismantle the current licensure model and replace it with a one-time “certification” process that does not require renewal through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). The proposed framework includes:

• “One and done” certification with no renewal requirement.
• An ongoing competence requirement that could be met by completing continuing education, maintaining national certification, or logging a minimum number of work hours (e.g., 500 every two years).
• Elimination of the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Advisory Board within DOPL.

While some elements, such as entry qualifications, background checks, and DOPL oversight for investigation and enforcement, would remain, the overall structure would erode professional accountability and undermine public protection.

If you live in Utah, your legislators need to hear from you. Please take a moment to send a message through our VoterVoice Action Alert urging the Business and Labor Interim Committee to protect licensure and reject efforts to dismantle professional standards for audiologists and speech-language pathologists. If you have already sent a message, please share this with your colleagues!

If you live in another state but educate or work with students from Utah, encourage them to contact their families in Utah and submit a VoterVoice Action Alert today.

This issue is about maintaining the highest standards of care, ensuring patient safety, and protecting access to essential hearing and communication services across Utah and preventing other states from seeing this a path forward in deregulating the hearing health licensure.