wv-wv-18574: 8-04 — Application for Waiver of Initial Licensing Fees for Certain Individuals

6/29/2026 4:21:10 PM Office of West Virginia Secretary Of State NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AGENCY: Hearing Aid Dealers TITLE-SERIES: 8-04 RULE TYPE: Legislative Amendment to Existing Rule: Yes Repeal of existing rule:Yes RULE NAME: Application for Waiver of Initial Licensing Fees for Certain Individuals CITE STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 30-26-3 COMMENTS LIMITED TO: Written DATE OF PUBLIC HEARING: LOCATION OF PUBLIC HEARING: DATE WRITTEN COMMENT PERIOD ENDS: 07/29/2026 12:00 AM COMMENTS MAY BE MAILED OR EMAILED TO: NAME: West Virginia Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology ADDRESS: 99 Edmiston Way Ste 214, Box 11 EMAIL: wvbeslpa@wv.gov PLEASE INDICATE IF THIS FILING INCLUDES: RELEVANT FEDERAL STATUTES OR REGULATIONS: No (IF YES, PLEASE UPLOAD IN THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FIELD) INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: No (IF YES, PLEASE UPLOAD IN THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FIELD) PROVIDE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE CONTENT OF THE RULE: Changed name of Rule, added Hearing Aid Dealer to Series 4 rule, changed dealer to dispenser. SUMMARIZE IN A CLEAR AND CONCISE MANNER CONTENTS OF CHANGES IN THE RULE AND A STATEMENT OF CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRING THE RULE: Changed name of Rule, added Hearing Aid Dealer to Series 4 rule, changed dealer to dispenser. SUMMARIZE IN A CLEAR AND CONCISE MANNER THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED RULE: A. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON REVENUES OF STATE GOVERNMENT: N/A B. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON SPECIAL REVENUE ACCOUNTS: N/A C. ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE RULE ON THE STATE OR ITS RESIDENTS: N/A D. FISCAL NOTE DETAIL: Effect of Proposal Fiscal Year 2026 2027 Fiscal Year (Upon Increase/Decrease Increase/Decrease Full (use "-") (use "-") Implementation) 1. Estimated Total Cost Personal Services Current Expenses Repairs and Alterations Assets Other 2. Estimated Total Revenues E EXPLANATION OF ABOVE ESTIMATES (INCLUDING LONG-RANGE EFFECT): N/A BY CHOOSING 'YES', I ATTEST THAT THE PREVIOUS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. Yes Pamela Coughlin --By my signature, I certify that I am the person authorized to file legislative rules, in accordance with West Virginia Code §29A-3-11 and §39A-3-2. 8CSR4 TITLE 8 LEGISLATIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA BOARD OF HEARING AID DEALERS EXAMINERS FOR SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY SERIES 4 HEARING AID DISPENSER APPLICATION FOR WAIVER OF INITIAL LICENSING FEES FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS §8-4-1. General. 1.1. Scope. -- This rule establishes procedures for waiving the initial licensure fee for low-income individuals and military personnel and their spouses. 1.2. Authority. -- W. Va. Code §30-1-23, and W. Va. Code §30-26-3. 1.3. Filing Date. -- April 28, 2020. 1.4. Effective Date. -- April 30, 2020. 1.5. Sunset Provision. -- This rule shall terminate and have no further force or effect on August 1, 2032 April 30, 2030. §8-4-2. Definitions. 2.1. "Board" means the West Virginia Board of Hearing Aid Dealers Dispenser. 2.2. "Initial licensure fee" means the licensure fee or fees that an applicant must normally pay to obtain a license for the practice of hearing aid dealing, if the applicant is being licensed as a hearing aid dealer dispenser West Virginia for the first time. 2.3. "Local labor market" means every county in West Virginia, and any county outside of West Virginia if any portion of that county is within 50 miles of the border of West Virginia, as defined in W.Va. Code §21-1C-2 2.4. "Low-income individual" means an individual in the local labor market whose household adjusted gross income is below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. This term also includes a person enrolled in a state or federal public assistance program including, but not limited to, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, Medicaid, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 2.5. "Military families" means any person or the spouse of a person who serves as an active member of the armed forces of the United States, the National Guard, or a reserve component as described in 38 U. S. C. §101,or who is an honorably discharged veterans of those force. This term also includes surviving spouses of deceased service members or honorably discharged veterans who have not remarried. §8-4-3. Request for Waiver of Initial Licensure Fee. 3.1. Low-income individuals may request a waiver of the initial licensure fee by submitting, with their completed license application, a low-income waiver of initial licensure fee form, as provided by the Board, and all documentation of eligibility for the waiver, as prescribed by this rule. The Board shall review the 1 8CSR4 low-income waiver of initial licensure fee form and issue a decision regarding eligibility for the initial licensure fee waiver within 30 days of receipt of the completed application and form. 3.2. Military families may request a waiver of the initial licensure fee by submitting with their completed license application a military service verification form as provided by the Board, and all documentation of eligibility for the waiver, as prescribed by this rule. The Board shall review the military service verification form and issue a decision regarding eligibility for the initial licensure fee waiver within 30 days of receipt of the completed application and form. 3.3. Upon determining that an applicant is eligible to obtain a license, the Board shall waive the initial licensure fee if the applicant qualifies as a “low-income individual” or as an individual within the class “military families” as defined in this rule. §8-4-4. Required Documentation for Waiver of Initial Licensure Fees. 4.1. Individuals requesting an initial licensure fee waiver for low-income individuals or military families shall submit, with their license application and their waiver request form, the appropriate documentation as specified in this section. 4.2. To establish low- income eligibility for an initial licensure fee waiver, an applicant shall submit to the Board a federal tax return or documentation of eligibility for one of the following public benefit programs: 4.2.1. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program; 4.2.2. Medicaid; or 4.2.3. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 4.3. To establish military family eligibility for a waiver of the initial licensure fee, an applicant shall submit to the Board proof of qualifying military service and if applicable, proof of eligibility as a qualifying spouse or surviving spouse, as follows: 4.3.1. The service members DD-214 form; 4.3.2. The service members NGB-22 form; 4.3.3. The service members DD-1300 form; 4.3.4. A copy of the service member’s current military orders; or 4.3.5. Other official military documentation, determined to be appropriate by the Board, demonstrating the service member’s qualifying past or current military service; and 4.3.6. For a service member’s spouse or surviving spouse, a copy of the certificate of marriage between the spouse and qualifying service member and when applicable, the qualifying service member’s certificate of death. 4.4. Honorably discharged service members applying for a waiver of the initial licensure fee shall submit to the Board a DD-214 form, an NGB-22 form or other official military documentation, determined to be appropriate by the Board, showing that the applicant has been honorably discharged from military service. 2