HB127 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Margie WilcoxRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Sunset Law; Board of Hearing Instrument Dealers continued with modification until October 1, 2029

Summary

HB127 would extend the Board of Hearing Instrument Dealers' existence to October 1, 2029 and overhaul its membership structure and appointment process.

What This Bill Does

The bill continues the Board of Hearing Instrument Dealers through October 1, 2029 with changes to how members are chosen. It creates an eight-member board consisting of five licensees (one may be a hearing aid specialist), one physician who specializes in diseases of the ear, one audiologist, and one consumer member who has limited voting rights. Starting June 1, 2025, board members must be appointed so that one member comes from each congressional district, with the remaining members from the state at-large, and appointments are made by the Governor from nominees provided by the Alabama Society for Hearing Healthcare Providers. Terms are four years, vacancies are filled for the unexpired term, and the board designates its officers annually. The bill also specifies compensation, travel reimbursement, grounds for removal, and the board’s authority to hire staff, while preserving the existing statutory framework for the board’s existence.

Who It Affects

• Licensed hearing instrument dealers and hearing aid professionals (including hearing aid specialists and dispensers) and related medical professionals (ear-disease physicians and audiologists) who will serve on the board under new district-based appointment rules and qualifications.
• Consumers and members of the public who gain representation on the board, with the consumer member having non-voting status on licensing decisions and protections against conflicts of interest (e.g., the consumer member cannot be a hearing aid specialist or dispenser and cannot be related to other board members).

Key Provisions

• Continuance of the Board of Hearing Instrument Dealers through October 1, 2029, with preservation of Sections 34-14-1 to 34-14-34.
• Starting June 1, 2025, board membership must include one member from each congressional district, with the remaining members from the state at-large.
• Eight-member board: five licensees (one may be a hearing aid specialist), one ear-disease physician, one audiologist, and one consumer member; consumer member has no voting power on license actions and cannot be related to hearing aid professionals.
• Qualifications: hearing aid specialists/dispensers must have at least three years of experience and hold a valid license; no two members from the same business or firm; no spouse or immediate family member of another member.
• Appointments by the Governor from a list of qualified nominees provided by the Alabama Society for Hearing Healthcare Providers; four-year terms; vacancies filled for the unexpired term.
• Annual designation of officers (e.g., chair, vice chair) and establishment of other necessary officers, including a complaints chair.
• No reappointment for someone who has served two or more full terms until at least one year after their most recent term ends.
• Compensation: per diem of $25 for each day of duties, up to $1,000 per year, plus travel and other expenses as allowed by law.
• Governor authority to remove a member for neglect of duty, incompetency, or unprofessional conduct; board may hire an executive secretary and necessary staff paid from appropriations.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Occupational Licensing Boards