State Tinnitus Management Requirements
Alabama, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin have laws, regulations or policies related to the use of tinnitus management for audiologists, which are summarized below. This information is reviewed on an annual basis. Please be advised that laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time, so always check with your state for the most up-to-date information.
Alabama
870-X-1-.01 Definition of Terms
(2) "Audiology"
(a) The application of principles, methods, and procedures related to the development and disorders of the human auditory-vestibular system, which disorders shall include any and all conditions whether of organic or functional origin, including, but not limited to, disorders of hearing, balance, tinnitus, auditory processing and other neural functions, as those principles, methods and procedures are taught in doctoral programs in audiology in accredited programs.
Alabama Rules and Regulations [PDF]
Colorado
12-5.5-101. Definitions.
(3.5) "Practice of audiology" means:
(a) The application of principles, methods, and procedures related to the development, disorders, and conditions of the human auditory-vestibular system, whether such disorders or conditions are of organic or functional origin, including, but not limited to, disorders of hearing, balance, tinnitus, auditory processing, and other neural functions, as those principles, methods, and procedures are taught in accredited programs in audiology. The principles, methods, or procedures include diagnosis, assessment, measurement, testing, appraisal, evaluation, rehabilitation, treatment, prevention, conservation, identification, consultation, counseling, intervention, management, interpretation, instruction, or research related to hearing, vestibular function, balance and fall prevention, and associated neural systems, or any abnormal condition related to tinnitus, auditory sensitivity, acuity, function or processing, speech, language, or other aberrant behavior resulting from hearing loss, for the purpose of diagnosing, designing, and implementing audiological management and treatment or other programs for the amelioration of such disorders and conditions. Management and treatment shall include, but not be limited to, the activities described in paragraph (b) of this subsection (3.5).
District of Columbia
§ 3-1201.02
(2B)(A) "Practice of audiology" means the planning, directing, supervising, and conducting of habilitative or rehabilitative counseling programs for individuals or groups of individuals who have, or are suspected of having, disorders of hearing; any service in audiology, including prevention, identification, evaluation, consultation, habilitation or rehabilitation, instruction, and research; participating in hearing conservation, hearing aid and assistive listening device evaluation, selection, preparation, dispensing, and orientation; fabricating ear molds; providing auditory training and speech reading; or administering tests of vestibular function and tests for tinnitus.
DC Practice Act [PDF]
Florida
468.1125 Definitions
(b) Any audiologist who has complied with the provisions of this part may:
6. Evaluate tinnitus.
Michigan
333.16801. Definitions; scope of practice; limitation.
(1) As used in this part:
(b) "Practice of audiology" means the nonmedical and nonsurgical application of principles, methods, and procedures related to disorders of hearing, including all of the following:
(vi) Administering and interpreting tests of vestibular function and tinnitus in compliance with section 16809 and in adherence to the mandate of subsection (2).
(2) Practice of audiology does not include the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine and surgery or medical diagnosis or treatment.
Michigan Practice Act [PDF]
Montana
24.222.525 AUDIOLOGY SCOPE OF PRACTICE
(1) The scope of practice of audiology includes but is not limited to:
(s) assessment and nonmedical management of tinnitus using:
(i) biofeedback;
(ii) masking;
(iii) habituation;
(iv) hearing aids;
(v) education; and
(vi) counseling;
New Hampshire
137-F:2 Definitions.
VII. "Practice of audiology'' means, but shall not be limited to:
(d) Providing basic and comprehensive audiological and psychoacoustic evaluations for the purpose of determining candidacy for amplification or assistive alerting/listening devices; providing tinnitus evaluations and therapy; providing hearing aid fitting and orientation; taking ear impressions; and providing hearing aid product dispensing, repair, and modification
New Jersey
13:44C-7.1 SCOPE OF PRACTICE—AUDIOLOGY
a) The practice of audiology includes the following functions related to hearing, its disorders and related communication impairments:
10) Assessment and nonmedical management of tinnitus using biofeedback, masking, education, and counseling.
New Jersey Practice Act [PDF]
New Mexico
61-14B-5. Scope of practice; audiologists. (Repealed effective July 1, 2016.)
The scope of practice for audiologists shall include:
E. evaluation and management of tinnitus.
Ohio
4753.01 Speech-language pathologist and audiologist definitions.
(G) "Practice of audiology" means the planning, directing, supervising, and conducting of habilitative or rehabilitative counseling programs for individuals or groups of individuals who have or are suspected of having disorders of hearing; any service in audiology, including prevention, identification, evaluation, consultation, habilitation or rehabilitation, instruction, and research; participating in hearing conservation, hearing aid and assistive listening device evaluation, selection, preparation, dispensing, and orientation; fabricating ear molds; providing auditory training and speech reading; and administering tests of vestibular function and tests for tinnitus in accordance with section 4753.14 of the Revised Code.
Oregon
The Oregon Health Licensing Agency believes that tinnitus management is within the scope of practice of audiologists but not hearing aid dispensers. Any hearing aid dispenser who is diagnosing or treating tinnitus will have a complaint referred to the Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology for investigation and possible sanctions.
Hearing Aid Specialists FAQ [PDF]
South Dakota
36-24-1.6. Scope of audiology.
The scope of practice of audiology includes:
(19) Assessment and nonmedical management of tinnitus using biofeedback, masking, hearing aids, education, and counseling;
Utah
58-41-2. Definitions.
In addition to the definitions in Section 58-1-102, as used in this chapter:
(4) "Audiology" means the application of principles, methods and procedures, and measuring, testing, examining, interpreting, diagnosing, predicting, evaluating, prescribing, consulting, treating, instructing, and researching, which is related to hearing, vestibular function, and the disorders of hearing, to related language and speech disorders and to aberrant behavior related to loss of hearing or vestibular function, for the purpose of preventing and modifying disorders related to loss of hearing or vestibular function, and planning, directing, managing, conducting and participating in hearing conservation, evoked potentials evaluation, non-medical tinnitus evaluation or treatment, noise control, habilitation and rehabilitation programs, including hearing aid evaluation, assistive listening device evaluation, prescription, preparation, and dispensing, and auditory training and lip reading.
Utah Practice Act [PDF]
Wisconsin
459.20 Definitions
(2) "Audiology" means all of the following:
(a) Applying principles, methods or procedures of prevention, identification, evaluation, consultation, intervention, instruction or research related to hearing, vestibular function, or any abnormal condition related to tinnitus, auditory sensitivity, acuity, function or processing, speech, language or other aberrant behavior resulting from hearing loss.
