(a)  The board shall administer, coordinate, and enforce the provisions of this chapter; evaluate the qualifications of applicants; and may issue subpoenas, examine witnesses, and administer oaths, conduct hearings, and at its discretion investigate allegations of violations of this chapter and impose penalties if any violations of the chapter have occurred.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-3

  • Audiologist: means an individual licensed by the board to practice audiology. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Audiology: means the application of principles, methods, and procedures related to hearing and the disorders of the hearing and balance systems, to related language and speech disorders, and to aberrant behavior related to hearing loss. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Board: means the state board of examiners of speech-language pathology and audiology. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Department: means the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Director: means the director of the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, organization, or corporation, except that only individuals can be licensed under this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Speech-language pathologist: means an individual who is licensed by the board to practice speech-language pathology. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Speech-language pathology: means the application of principles, methods, and procedures for prevention, identification, evaluation, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, and research related to the development and disorders of human communication. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1

(b)  The board shall conduct hearings and keep records and minutes as necessary to an orderly dispatch of business.

(c)  The board shall, with the approval of the director of the department of health, adopt, amend, or repeal rules and regulations, including, but not limited to, regulations that delineate qualifications for licensure and establish standards of professional conduct. Following their adoption, the rules and regulations shall govern and control the professional conduct of every person who holds a license to practice speech-language pathology or audiology in this state.

(d)  The board shall make available complete lists of the names and addresses of all licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

(e)  The board may request legal advice and assistance from the appropriate state legal officer.

(f)  Regular meetings of the board shall be held at the times and places that it prescribes, and special meetings may be held upon the call of the chairperson; provided, that at least one regular meeting shall be held each year.

(g)  The conferral or enumeration of specific powers in this chapter shall not be construed as a limitation of the general powers conferred by this section. No member of the board shall be liable to civil action for any act performed in good faith in the performance of his or her duties as prescribed by this chapter.

(h)  Board members shall serve without compensation.

(i)  The board may suspend the authority of any registered speech-language pathologist or audiologist to practice speech-language pathology or audiology for failure to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter.

History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 143, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 329, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 366, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 33, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 39, § 1.