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Bills · 2023-2024 Regular Session

SB 373

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: selling and fitting over-the-counter hearing aids.

Deaf and hearing impaired Hearing instrument specialist

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, no person may engage in the practice of selling or fitting

hearing aids unless he or she holds a license as a hearing instrument specialist

issued by the Department of Safety and Professional Services or a license as an

audiologist issued by the Hearing and Speech Examining Board. This bill provides

that no license is required to sell or fit an over-the-counter hearing aid, as defined

under federal law. Under federal law, air-conduction hearing aids may be sold over

the counter without a prescription under certain circumstances.

Further, under current law, a hearing instrument specialist who engages in the

practice of selling or fitting hearing aids must deliver to each person supplied with

a hearing aid a receipt that contains certain information. The bill provides that a

hearing instrument specialist is not required to deliver a receipt to a person supplied

with a hearing aid if the hearing aid is an over-the-counter hearing aid, as defined

under federal law.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Cabral-Guevara (R) , Carpenter (D) , Felzkowski (R) , Knodl (R) , Spreitzer (D) , Taylor (D)

27 cosponsors

Andraca (D) , Baldeh (D) , Bodden (R) , Cabrera (D) , Dittrich (R) , Drake (D) , Emerson (D) , Goeben (R) , Gustafson (R) , Hesselbein (D) , Hurd (R) , Jacobson (D) , Joers (D) , Macco (R) , Moore Omokunde (D) , Mursau (R) , Myers (D) , Ohnstad (D) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Palmeri (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Shankland (D) , Snodgrass (D) , Sortwell (R) , Stubbs (D) , Subeck (D) , Vining (D)

Votes

Senate: Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Health, Ayes 6, Noes 0

Passed 6–0 Oct 6, 2023 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Ayes 6, Noes 0

Passed 6–0 Oct 6, 2023 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. Aug 9, 2023 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Cabral-Guevara, Carpenter, Felzkowski, Knodl, Spreitzer and Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives Stubbs, Sortwell, Andraca, Baldeh, Bodden, Cabrera, Dittrich, Goeben, Gustafson, Jacobson, Joers, Moore Omokunde, Mursau, Myers, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri, Shankland, Snodgrass, Subeck and Vining

  2. Aug 9, 2023 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Health

  3. Sep 6, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Macco added as a cosponsor

  4. Sep 8, 2023 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Cabral-Guevara

  5. Sep 13, 2023 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Sep 13, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Drake added as a cosponsor

  7. Sep 21, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Hurd added as a cosponsor

  8. Oct 4, 2023 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  9. Oct 6, 2023 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  10. Oct 6, 2023 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Health, Ayes 6, Noes 0

  11. Oct 6, 2023 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Ayes 6, Noes 0

  12. Oct 16, 2023 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 10-17-2023 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  13. Oct 16, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Ratcliff added as a cosponsor

  14. Oct 17, 2023 · Senate

    Senator Hesselbein added as a coauthor

  15. Oct 17, 2023 · Senate

    Read a second time

  16. Oct 17, 2023 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  17. Oct 17, 2023 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  18. Oct 17, 2023 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  19. Oct 17, 2023 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  20. Oct 17, 2023 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Oct 17, 2023 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  22. Oct 19, 2023 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  23. Feb 14, 2024 · Assembly

    Representative Emerson added as a cosponsor

  24. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 10:16 AM on 2-22-2024 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 28

  25. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  26. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  27. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  28. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  29. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  30. Feb 22, 2024 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  31. Feb 27, 2024 · Senate

    LRB correction (Senate Substitute Amendment 1)

  32. Feb 27, 2024 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  33. Mar 18, 2024 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2024

  34. Mar 26, 2024 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-22-2024. 2023 Wisconsin Act 179

  35. Mar 26, 2024 · Senate

    Published 3-23-2024