HLSHCAHB925 26RS-11204921 ORIGINAL3287 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS Regular Session HOUSEAmendments BILLproposed NO.byHouse Committee on Health and Welfare to Original House Bill No.

925 BYby REPRESENTATIVERepresentative HENRYChance SPEECH/PATH/AUDIO:Henry AMENDMENT NO.

Provides1 relativeOn topage the1, practiceline of3, audiologydelete and"to speech-the languagedefinitions pathologyrelevant" ANAMENDMENT ACTNO. To amend and reenact R.S.

37:2651(11)(a)2 andOn enactpage R.S.1, line 7, change "are" to "is" AMENDMENT NO.

37:2651(11)(e)3 andOn (f),page relative1, toline the8, definitionschange relevant"is" to speech"are" languageAMENDMENT pathologyNO. and audiology;

4 On page 1, line 19, change "(11)(e)" to provide"(e)" fordefinitions;toprovideforguidelinesforthepracticeofaudiology;andtoprovidePage for1 relatedof matters.1 CODING:

Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:

Section 1.

R.S.

37:2651(11)(a) are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.

37:2651(11)(e) and (f) is herebyenacted to read as follows:

§2651.

Definitions * * * (11)(a) "Practice of audiology" means providing or offering to provide to individuals or groups of individuals who have or are suspected of having disorders of the auditory system, which includes any service in audiology, including prevention, identification, evaluation, interpretation, counseling, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, supervision, or research.

The practice of audiologyshallalsoincludeaudiologyservicesfordisordersofthevestibularsystem upon referral of a physician.

* * * (11)(e) An audiologist is permitted to perform any of the following:

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HLS 26RS-1120 ORIGINAL HB NO.

925 (i) Order cultures and blood work testing solely as related to the auditory or vestibular conditions in the human ear.

(ii) Order and perform in-office non-radiographic testing of the external auditory canal solely for the evaluation of hearing and balance disorders.

(iii)Orderradiographicimagingsolelyasrelatedtotheauditoryorvestibular conditions in the human ear.

(f) An audiologist is prohibited from performing any of the following:

(i) Surgery using an instrument including a laser, scalpel, needle, cautery, cryoprobe, or suture, in which human tissue is cut, burned, vaporized, removed, or otherwise permanently altered by mechanical, laser, ionizing radiation, ultrasound, or other means.

(ii) Osseointegrated device surgery.

(iii) Cochlear implant surgery.

(iv) The preparation, operation, or performance of radiographic imaging;

or the use or interpretation of cultures, blood work testing, or radiographic imaging to diagnose or treat patients.

DIGEST ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative Services.

It constitutes nopart of the legislative instrument.

The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.

[R.S.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 925 Original 2026 Regular Session Henry Abstract:

Provides clarification relative to the practice of audiology and speech-language pathology.

Present law provides for the practice of audiology to also include audiology services for disorders of the vestibular system upon referral of a physician.

Proposed law removes the referral of a physician provision.

Proposed law permits audiologists to order cultures, blood work testing, and radiographic imagingsolelyrelatedtotheauditoryorvestibularconditionsinthehumanear;

andtoorder andperformin-officenon-radiographictestingforthepurposeshearingandbalancedisorder evaluations.

Proposed law prohibits audiologists from performing surgery using instruments including a laser, scalpel, needle, cautery, cryoprobe, or suture, in which human tissue is modified or otherwise permanentlyalteredbymechanical,laser, ionizing radiation, ultrasound, or other means.

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