Committee approves tiny budget for Hearing Aid Examiners; director describes part-time operation

The Committee on General Government Budget voted to accept the Legislative Research recommendations for the Kansas Board of Hearing Aid Examiners’ budgets for fiscal years 2025–2027.

Julia Kofoid presented the board’s request and described it as a fee-funded program with a small budget: fiscal-year requests were roughly $38,000 for 2025 and similar amounts for 2026 and 2027, each below the fiscal year 2025 approved amount. "The Kansas Board of Hearing Aid Examiners' mission is to regulate hearing aid dispensers by determining the competence of new practitioners, ensuring licensees keep their equipment calibrated, and meet continuing education requirements," Kofoid said.

Why it matters: Committee members noted the small size of the agency and asked about the executive director’s workload and resource use. Danielle Dorner, the board’s executive director and a practicing audiologist, told the committee she works less than half time for the board, is reimbursed for mileage when test sites are held, and has used personal equipment such as a printer to handle administrative tasks. "Anytime I have to purchase supplies, we are in line again to do the digitizing of the licensing. So, once we do that, then all of that paper product that I purchase again and then go through smart, that will be alleviated," Dorner said.

Details: Kofoid said the board requested decreases in several line items tied to prior pay-plan inclusions and website-development costs. Committee members praised the director’s stewardship and asked her to keep the committee updated as the licensing digitization proceeds.

Action: The committee approved the board’s budget recommendation on a voice vote; Representative Van Howden seconded the motion.

Looking ahead: The board will transition to a new licensing database alongside other agencies, which staff said should reduce paper and website-development costs and may change future budget needs.