La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § LXXV-109

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section LXXV-109 - Licensure Application Procedures

A. An application for a license to practice audiology and/or speech-language pathology shall be made on board-approved forms.

B. Criminal history record information must be submitted with the application form.

C. Official transcripts shall be sent to this board directly from the college or university from which the academic requirements were earned.

D. Documentation of supervised clinical practicum hours shall be submitted on university forms signed by a clinical supervisor or director, and must be submitted along with the application form. The hours submitted must reflect the depth and breadth of clinical experiences across the lifespan.

E. The initial license fee submitted to this board with the application form shall be paid by credit card.

F. Audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and/or assistants who have held a license in another state, shall provide official verification of their licensure status in each state, including any formal disciplinary action resulting in sanction and/or disciplinary proceedings which are pending. Verification of licensure status must be submitted along with the application form.

G. Documentation of thirty-six weeks of postgraduate professional employment/experience shall be submitted directly to the board in writing on official agency letterhead.

H. Documentation of 36 weeks of postgraduate professional employment/experience, a passing score on the educational testing service's specialty area examination, and verification of supervised clinical practicum hours may be waived for individuals who submit verification that they hold the certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or proof of certification from the American Board of Audiology (ABA) with proof of passing the national exam. Documentation must be submitted with the application form.

I. Postgraduate professional employment/experience which counts toward upgrading the license status, will only be accepted from the date that a licensee's application is received by the board.

J. While an initial application for licensure is being considered by the board, the applicant may be employed as an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days from the date that their completed application is received by the board. In no event may the applicant be employed as an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant after the application has been denied.

K. An applicant, with the exception of military applicants and military spouses, may be granted only one 60-day period to work while his/her initial application is being processed. No additional grace period may be granted to an applicant, regardless of whether the application is a new license or a request to reinstate or upgrade a license.

L. The board may refuse to consider any application which is not complete in every detail, including submission of every document required by the application form and instructions. The board may, at its discretion, require a more detailed or complete response to any request for information set forth in the application form as a condition for consideration of an application.

M. Applicants who have not obtained licensure within one year of the board's receipt of the application shall be deemed to have abandoned the application, resulting in mandatory reporting to the appropriate federal data bank. An applicant may request a withdrawal of the application subject to review and approval by the board.

N. Individuals holding an unrestricted audiology or speech-language pathology license from another state shall be allowed to practice in Louisiana for five consecutive days within each renewal period upon proof of current licensure submitted to the board office 10 days prior to the scheduled activity.

O. When there is probable cause to believe that an applicant practiced illegally in Louisiana as an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, and/or speech-language pathology assistant, the board may offer a consent agreement and order which will grant the individual a license, subject to the following specified terms and conditions.

1. Within 90 days of the date of the consent agreement and order, the applicant shall take and pass an open book examination regarding R.S. 37:2650-2666, the board's rules and regulations, and ethical questions.

a. Open book test fee shall be $30. The retest fee shall be $10 per section.

b. Applicants have 4 1/2 hours to complete all sections of the test.

c. The open book examination or any section may be re-taken anytime within the 90 days.

d. Notice of the consent agreement and order shall be published and reported.

e. If the applicant fails to successfully complete all requirements set forth in the above paragraphs, the applicant's license shall be suspended without further notice until the board receives and accepts documentation of the applicant's completion of the consent agreement and order requirements.

P. Temporary Registration during a Declared Public Health Emergency

1. In a public health emergency lawfully declared as such by the governor of Louisiana, the requirement for a Louisiana license as an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant may be waived by the board at that time to those out-of-state audiologists, speech-language pathologists, or speechlanguage pathology assistants, whose licenses, certifications or registrations are current and unrestricted in another jurisdiction of the United States, for a period of time not to exceed the duration and scope of R.S. 29:769(E), as more particularly set forth in this Section.

2. The following requirements for temporary registration may be imposed pursuant to the declared state of emergency and shall be in accordance with rules promulgated by the board.

3. An audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant not licensed in Louisiana, whose licenses, certifications or registrations are current and unrestricted in another jurisdiction of the United States, may gratuitously provide audiology and speechlanguage pathology services if:

a. the audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant has photo identification and a license to verify a current and unrestricted license, certification or registration in another jurisdiction of the United States, and properly registers with the board prior to providing audiology or speech-language pathology services in Louisiana as follows:

i. the audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant is engaged in a legitimate relief effort during the emergency period, and provides satisfactory documentation to the board of the location site(s) that he/she will be providing gratuitous audiology or speech-language pathology services;

ii. the audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant shall comply with the Louisiana Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act, board rules, and other applicable laws, as well as practice in good faith, and within the reasonable scope of his/her skill, training, and ability; and

iii. the audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant renders services on a gratuitous basis with no revenue of any kind to be derived whatsoever from the provision of services within the state of Louisiana.

4. This temporary registration period shall not exceed 60 days at the discretion of the board, with the potential extension of up to two additional periods not to exceed 60 days for each extension as determined appropriate and necessary by the board.

5. All interested audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech-language pathology assistants shall submit a copy of their respective current and unrestricted licenses, certifications or registrations issued in other jurisdictions of the United States and photographic identification, as well as other requested information, to the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology for registration with this agency prior to gratuitously providing audiology or speech-language pathology services in Louisiana.

6. Should a qualified audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant registered with the board fail to comply with any requirement or condition established by this Section, the board may terminate his/her registration upon notice and hearing.

7. In the event an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or speech-language pathology assistant fails to register with the board, but practices audiology or speechlanguage pathology, whether gratuitously or otherwise, then such conduct will be considered the unlawful practice of audiology or speech-language pathology and prosecuted accordingly.

Q. Volunteer Services. Individuals seeking to provide services on a voluntary basis shall hold an unrestricted out-of-state license in the area of practice, shall be deemed to meet all of the qualifications for license set forth by this Chapter, and shall abide by the Code of Ethics.

R. Licensing Military Members and Military Spouses

1. Expedited application for licensure in the area of audiology or speech-language pathology shall be granted to military members and military spouses licensed, certified or registered in another jurisdiction, while the individual is satisfying the requirement for licensure.

a. Applications shall be submitted in accordance with §109

b. Military members shall submit with the application a copy of current military-issued identification and military orders.

c. Applicants who are the spouse of military personnel shall submit with the application a copy of current military-issued identification, marriage license, and an affidavit attesting that applicant is married to military personnel.

2. Military applicants shall submit:

a. military members-official, primary-source documentation verifying requirements met in accordance with §107 and §115;

b. military spouse-official, primary-source documentation verifying requirements met in accordance with §107 and §115

3. Military members and military spouses shall be given a 60-day grace period for submission of official documentation from the date their notarized application and license fee are received by the board office, regardless of lapsed license status. The board may consider an extension of this grace period as per House Concurrent Resolution 74 of the 2015 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature.

4. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any applicant receiving a dishonorable discharge or a military spouse whose spouse received a dishonorable discharge.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § LXXV-109

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, LR 14:707 (October 1988), amended LR 22:352 (May 1996), LR 27:199 (February 2001), LR 28:1974 (September 2002), LR 30:2311 (October 2004), LR 33:2193 (October 2007), LR 37:2393 (August 2011), repromulgated LR 37:2623 (September 2011), LR 39:1043 (April 2013), Amended by the Department of Health, Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, LR 421666 (10/1/2016), Amended by the Department of Health, Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, LR 45251 (2/1/2019), Amended LR 482738 (11/1/2022), Repromulgated LR 492954 (12/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:2650 et seq.