To Amend The Definition Of "audiology" Relating To The Practice Of Audiologists.
SB118 amends Arkansas’s definition of “audiology” in the state code governing speech-language pathologists and audiologists. The bill expands the listed activities that fall within audiology to expressly include evaluating, diagnosing, managing, and treating auditory or vestibular conditions; prescribing, ordering, selling, dispensing, or fitting hearing aids; and prescribing, ordering, selling, dispensing, or externally fitting sound processors for osseointegrated devices and cochlear implants. It also clarifies that audiology includes certain noninvasive tasks such as health screenings, cerumen or foreign body removal from the external auditory canal, ordering limited cultures and bloodwork related to ear conditions, ordering and performing in-office nonradiographic testing, and ordering radiographic imaging related to auditory or vestibular conditions, while excluding surgery and the interpretation of tests or imaging for diagnosis or treatment.
The bill further adds a statutory definition of “sound processor” as a nonsurgical external unit that attaches to an internal osseointegrated device or cochlear implant. In practical terms, SB118 updates the scope of practice for audiologists and aligns the statute with current hearing-assistance technologies and clinical practices, while preserving clear boundaries around procedures that remain outside audiology, such as surgery and interpretation of diagnostic tests.
The voting history shows strong support for the measure. It passed the Senate 25-4 on third reading, then passed the House 97-0 on third reading, and later passed the Senate 32-0 on third reading, indicating broad bipartisan approval and no recorded opposition in the House vote.
There is little evidence of controversy in the available record, and no committee transcript excerpts were provided. The main policy issue reflected in the text is the line between expanded audiology practice and medical procedures reserved to other licensed professionals. The bill appears designed to modernize the profession’s statutory definition without authorizing surgery or broader medical diagnosis beyond the specified limits.
SB118 amends Arkansas Code § 17-100-103, which defines “audiology” for purposes of regulating audiologists and related speech-language pathology/audiology practice. The bill expands the scope of activities recognized as audiology, adds a definition of “sound processor,” and clarifies which procedures are included and excluded. This affects licensed audiologists, patients receiving hearing and balance care, and the regulatory framework governing hearing aids, cochlear implants, and osseointegrated devices in Arkansas.
The overall sentiment around SB118 appears strongly favorable. The bill advanced with large margins in both chambers, including unanimous House approval, suggesting broad agreement that the statutory definition should be updated to reflect current audiology practice and hearing technology. The absence of committee transcript material and the lack of recorded opposition in the House vote further suggest minimal public or legislative resistance.
The main point of potential contention is the scope of practice for audiologists—specifically, how far the definition of audiology should extend into clinical procedures, testing, and device-related services. The bill expressly includes certain screenings, limited testing, and device fitting, but it also draws firm exclusions around surgery, radiographic imaging performance, and interpretation of cultures, bloodwork, and imaging. Any concern would likely come from professional boundary issues between audiologists and other medical providers, though the available voting record shows little actual opposition.