2023 Tennessee Code › Title 63 - PROFESSIONS OF THE HEALING ARTS (§§ 63-1-NEW — 63-32-119) › Chapter 17 - LICENSURE ACT FOR COMMUNICATION DISORDERS AND SCIENCES (§§ 63-17-101 — 63-17-302) › Part 1 - SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS AND AUDIOLOGISTS (§§ 63-17-101 — 63-17-128) › Section 63-17-114 - Exemptions

Nothing in this part shall be construed to:
(1)
Prevent a qualified person licensed in this state under any other law from engaging in the profession for which such person is licensed;
(2)
Restrict or prevent activities of a speech language pathology or audiology nature or the use of the official title of the position for which they were employed on the part of the following persons:
(A)
Persons who hold a valid and current credential as a speech and hearing specialist issued by the department of education; and
(B)
Speech language pathologists or audiologists employed by federal governmental agencies; provided, that such persons are performing such activities solely within the confines of, or under the jurisdiction of, the organization in which they are employed and do not offer to render speech language pathology or audiology services as defined in §
63-17-103
, to the public outside of the institutions or organizations in which they are employed. However, such persons may, without obtaining a license under this chapter, consult or disseminate their research findings and scientific information to other such accredited academic institutions or governmental agencies. They also may offer lectures to the public for a fee, monetary or otherwise, without being licensed under this chapter;
(3)
Restrict the activities and services of a student or a 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 the student's supervised course of study and that such persons are designated by such title as "speech language pathology intern," "speech language pathology trainee" or other such title clearly indicating the training status appropriate to the student's level of training;
(4)
Restrict the activities and services of a student of audiology or 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 the student's supervised course of study and that such person is designated by such title as "audiology intern," "audiology trainee" or other such title clearly indicating the training status appropriate to the student's level of training;
(5)
(A)
Restrict a person from another state from offering such person's speech language pathology or audiology services in the state; provided, that such services are performed for no more than five (5) days in any calendar year and that such person meets the qualifications and requirements stated in the section on qualifications and does not sell hearing instruments;
(B)
However, a person from another state who is licensed or certified as a speech language pathologist by a similar board of another state, territory of the United States or of a foreign country or province and whose standards are equivalent to, or higher than, at the date of such person's certification or licensure, the requirements of this chapter and regulations duly adopted pursuant to this part or a person who meets the qualifications and requirements and resides in a state or territory of the United States or a foreign country or province that does not grant certification or license to speech language pathologists may also offer speech language pathology services in this state for a total of not more than thirty (30) days in any calendar year without being licensed under this law;
(6)
Prevent the activities and services of a speech language pathologist obtaining the pathologist's year of paid professional experience; provided, that such person is under the supervision of a speech language pathologist licensed under this chapter or a speech language pathologist certified under the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). A licensed or ASHA certified speech language pathologist shall not supervise more than three (3) speech language pathologists with a provisional license at any one (1) time;
(7)
Restrict the activities and services of an audiologist obtaining the audiologist's year of paid professional experience; provided, that such person is under the supervision of a licensed or ASHA certified audiologist. A licensed or ASHA certified audiologist shall not supervise more than three (3) unlicensed audiologists at any one (1) time;
(8)
Restrict the activities and services of a person performing audiometric tests under the direct supervision of a physician licensed to practice by the state board of medical examiners; and
(9)
Permit any person licensed by this chapter to practice medicine in any form or in any of its branches. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as applying to physicians licensed under chapters 1 and 6 of this title.
Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 318, s 2, eff. 5/8/2019.
Acts 1973, ch. 93, §§ 14, 22; T.C.A., §§ 63-1714, 63-1722; 63-17-122; Acts 1994, ch. 849, §§ 9, 15; 1995, ch. 481, §§ 31, 42, 43.