2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 32: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS › Chapter 137: BOARD OF SPEECH, AUDIOLOGY AND HEARING › Subchapter 5: AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY INTERSTATE COMPACT › 32 §17503. State participation in the compact

§17503. State participation in the compact
To participate in the compact, a member state shall meet the requirements of this section.   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
1.  Recognition of compact privilege.
A member state shall recognize a license issued to an audiologist or speech-language pathologist by a home state to a resident in that state as authorizing an audiologist or speech-language pathologist to practice audiology or speech-language pathology, under a privilege to practice, in each member state.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
2.  Home state license.
A member state shall require an applicant to obtain or retain a license in the home state and meet the home state's qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as all other applicable state laws.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
3.  Audiologist requirements.
A member state must require that to be granted a compact privilege, an audiologist must:
A. Meet one of the following educational requirements:
(1) On or before December 31, 2007, have graduated with a master's degree or doctorate in audiology, or equivalent degree, regardless of degree name, from a program that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or its successor, or by the United States Department of Education and operated by a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the board;
(2) On or after January 1, 2008, have graduated with a doctorate in audiology, or equivalent degree, regardless of degree name, from a program that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or its successor, or by the United States Department of Education and operated by a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the board; or
(3) Have graduated from an audiology program that is housed in an institution of higher education outside of the United States:
(a) For which the program and institution have been approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country;
(b) For which the degree program has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a state licensing board-approved program; and
(c) For which the audiologist has completed a supervised clinical practicum experience from an accredited educational institution or its cooperating programs as required by the commission;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
B. Have successfully passed a national examination approved by the commission;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
C. Hold an active, unencumbered license;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
D. Have not been convicted or found guilty, and have not entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony related to the practice of audiology, under applicable state or federal criminal law; and   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
E. Have a valid social security number or National Practitioner Identification number.   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
4.  Speech-language pathologist requirements.
A member state must require that to be granted a compact privilege, a speech-language pathologist must:
A. Meet one of the following educational requirements:
(1) Have graduated with a master's degree from a speech-language pathology program that is accredited by an organization recognized by the United States Department of Education and operated by a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the board; or
(2) Have graduated from a speech-language pathology program that is housed in an institution of higher education outside of the United States:
(a) For which the program and institution have been approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country; and
(b) For which the degree program has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a state licensing board-approved program;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
B. Have completed a supervised clinical practicum experience from an educational institution or its cooperating programs as required by the commission;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
C. Have completed a supervised postgraduate professional experience as required by the commission;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
D. Have successfully passed a national examination approved by the commission;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
E. Hold an active, unencumbered license;   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
F. Have not been convicted or found guilty, and have not entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony related to the practice of speech-language pathology, under applicable state or federal criminal law; and   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
G. Have a valid social security number or National Practitioner Identification number.   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
5.  Consideration of criminal history records.
A member state must implement or utilize procedures for considering the criminal history records of applicants for initial privilege to practice. These procedures must include the submission of fingerprints or other biometric-based information by applicants for the purpose of obtaining an applicant's criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state's criminal records.
A. A member state must fully implement a criminal background check requirement, within a time frame established by rule, by receiving the results of the Federal Bureau of Investigation record search on criminal background checks and using the results in making licensure decisions.   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
B. Communication between a member state and the commission and among member states regarding the verification of eligibility for licensure through the compact may not include any information received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation relating to a federal criminal records check performed by a member state under the federal Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1973, Title II, Public Law 92-544 (1972).   [PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
6.  Other state information.
Upon application for a privilege to practice, the licensing board in the issuing remote state shall ascertain, through the data system, whether the applicant has ever held, or is the holder of, a license issued by any other state, whether there are any encumbrances on any license or privilege to practice held by the applicant and whether any adverse action has been taken against any license or privilege to practice held by the applicant.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
7.  Privilege to practice.
The privilege to practice is derived from the home state license.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
8.  Compliance with practice laws; client location.
An audiologist or speech-language pathologist practicing in a member state must comply with the state practice laws of the state in which the client is located at the time service is provided. The practice of audiology and speech-language pathology must include all audiology and speech-language pathology practice as defined by the state practice laws of the member state in which the client is located. The practice of audiology and speech-language pathology in a member state under a privilege to practice subjects an audiologist or speech-language pathologist to the jurisdiction of the licensing board, the courts and the laws of the member state in which the client is located at the time service is provided.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
9.  Nonresidents.
An individual not residing in a member state is able to apply for a member state's single-state license as provided under the laws of that member state. However, the single-state license granted to these individuals may not be recognized as granting the compact privilege in any other member state.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
10.  No effect on single-state license authority.
Nothing in this compact affects the requirements established by a member state for the issuance of a single-state license.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
11.  Fee.
A member state may charge a fee for granting a compact privilege.
[PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2023, c. 310, §1 (NEW).