Committee hears wide‑ranging changes to licensing for speech‑language pathology, audiology and hearing aid dispensing

The Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor heard detailed testimony on Assembly Bill 177, which would revise Nevada law governing speech‑language pathology, audiology and hearing aid dispensing to expand licensing pathways, ease reciprocity for out‑of‑state practitioners and create a new licensure category for speech‑language pathology assistants (SLPAs).

Assemblywoman Cecilia Gonzales introduced the bill; Jennifer Pierce, executive director of the Nevada Speech Language Pathology, Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensing Board, provided detailed explanations. Pierce said the board census as of March 2025 totaled 1,680 licensees: "1,396 speech language pathologists, 603 audiologists, 115 dispensing audiologists, 90 hearing aid specialists, and 16 hearing aid specialist apprentices," and that about 76% of active licensees live in Nevada. The board presented AB177 as a package of licensing and scope changes intended to improve consumer access and workforce flexibility.

Key provisions described by Pierce include:

- New SLPA license path (section 9): requires either a bachelor’s degree in speech‑language pathology or a current Nevada Department of Education (NDE) endorsement issued on or before Sept. 30, 2026; applicants must complete 75 combined clinical observation and assisting hours or do so within 60 days of licensure under supervision. The board reported that about 38 states license, certify, or register SLPAs.

- Supervision and training limits: drafted regulations would limit a supervising SLP to a maximum of three supervisees (any combination of up to two SLPAs, two SLP students or two provisional SLPs); an SLPA may have up to three supervising SLPs per employer, and supervising clinicians must share the same employer as the SLPA, Pierce said.

- Audiology and dispensing: the bill would remove a separate "dispensing" endorsement for audiologists who fit and dispense hearing aids (currently a separate endorsement with additional written and practical exams and fees). Pierce said only 12 states require a separate endorsement and that many aspects of current exams and fees create portability barriers for experienced out‑of‑state audiologists. The bill would also adopt language to align the audiology scope with the FDA’s final rule on over‑the‑counter hearing aids, clarify prescription authority and broaden terms such as "cochlear implants" to "implantable hearing devices."

- Hearing aid specialist certification: AB177 would remove NBCHIS certification as a mandatory entry requirement and make it an optional automatic qualifier; the board plans to adopt regulations to address licensing and apprenticeship training standards.

Pierce said the changes aim to reduce licensing barriers, speed time to license (the board reported average full license issuance within 5 days of a complete application, faster for endorsement), and expand access in school and clinical settings. The bill also includes provisions to protect employees who hold existing NDE endorsements through 09/30/2026; those employees would remain exempt from SLPA licensure while working in schools.

Committee members asked detailed questions about telesupervision, on‑site supervision and limits on supervisee ratios. Pierce said the board has drafted regulations that define telesupervision and set supervision rules; the committee was told supervising clinicians must be licensed in Nevada and share the same employer as the supervised SLPA, although the supervising clinician could be physically outside Nevada if licensed and employed consistent with the regulations.

Several universities and veterans' groups testified in support; no callers or attendees testified in opposition on the record. The hearing record contains extensive technical discussion but no committee vote was recorded.