2023 California Code › Business and Professions Code - BPC › DIVISION 2 - HEALING ARTS › CHAPTER 5.3 - Speech-Language Pathologists, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers › ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions › Section 2530.5.

2530.5. (a) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting hearing testing conducted by licensed physicians and surgeons or by persons conducting hearing tests under the direct supervision of a physician and surgeon.
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a licensed hearing aid dispenser from engaging in testing of hearing and other practices and procedures used solely for the fitting and selling of hearing aids nor does this chapter restrict persons practicing their licensed profession and operating within the scope of their licensed profession or employed by someone operating within the scope of their licensed professions, including persons fitting and selling hearing aids who are properly licensed or registered under the laws of the State of California.
(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting or preventing the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology by personnel holding the appropriate credential from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as long as the practice is conducted within the confines of or under the jurisdiction of a public preschool, elementary, or secondary school by which they are employed and those persons do not either offer to render or render speech-language pathology or audiology services to the public for compensation over and above the salary they receive from the public preschool, elementary, or secondary school by which they are employed for the performance of their official duties.
(d) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the activities and services of a student or speech-language pathology intern in speech-language pathology pursuing a course of study leading to a degree in speech-language pathology at an accredited or approved college or university or an approved clinical training facility, provided that these activities and services constitute a part of their supervised course of study and that those persons are designated by the title as “speech-language pathology intern,” “speech-language pathology trainee,” or other title clearly indicating the training status appropriate to their level of training.
(e) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the activities and services of a student or audiology intern in audiology pursuing a course of study leading to a degree in audiology at an accredited or approved college or university or an approved clinical training facility, provided that these activities and services constitute a part of their supervised course of study and that those persons are designated by the title as “audiology intern,” “audiology trainee,” or other title clearly indicating the training status appropriate to their level of training.
(f) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the practice of an applicant who is obtaining the required professional experience specified in subdivision (c) of Section 2532.2 or subdivision (b) of Section 2532.25 and who has been issued a temporary license pursuant to Section 2532.7. The number of applicants who may be supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist or a speech-language pathologist having qualifications deemed equivalent by the board shall be determined by the board. The supervising speech-language pathologist shall register with the board the name of each applicant working under their supervision, and shall submit to the board a description of the proposed professional responsibilities of the applicant working under their supervision. The number of applicants who may be supervised by a licensed audiologist or an audiologist having qualifications deemed equivalent by the board shall be determined by the board. The supervising audiologist shall register with the board the name of each applicant working under their supervision, and shall submit to the board a description of the proposed professional responsibilities of the applicant working under their supervision.
(g) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting hearing screening services in public or private elementary or secondary schools so long as these screening services are provided by persons registered as qualified school audiometrists pursuant to Sections 1685 and 1686 of the Health and Safety Code or hearing screening services supported by the State Department of Health Care Services so long as these screening services are provided by appropriately trained or qualified personnel.
(h) Persons employed as speech-language pathologists or audiologists by a federal agency shall be exempt from this chapter.
(i) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting consultation or the instructional or supervisory activities of a faculty member of an approved or accredited college or university for the first 60 days following appointment after the effective date of this subdivision.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 415, Sec. 3. (AB 2686) Effective January 1, 2023.)