Sec. 402.254. GUIDELINES FOR TRAINING OF TEMPORARY TRAINING PERMIT HOLDERS

(a) The committee shall establish formal and practical education guidelines for the training of temporary training permit holders.

(b) The guidelines must include directions to the supervisor about:

(1) the subject matter to be taught;

(2) the length of the training;

(3) the extent of a temporary training permit holder's contact with the public; and

(4) the responsibility of the supervisor for direct and indirect supervision of all aspects of the training.

(c) The training period begins on the date of issuance of the temporary permit. A temporary training permit holder must complete at least 150 hours of directly supervised practicum that includes:

(1) 25 contact hours of pure tone air conduction, bone conduction, and speech audiometry, recorded and live voice, with 15 of the required hours being with actual clients;

(2) 25 client contact hours of hearing instrument evaluations, including sound-field measurements with recorded and live voice;

(3) 20 contact hours of instrument fittings with actual clients;

(4) 10 contact hours of earmold orientation types, uses, and terminology;

(5) five contact hours of earmold impressions and otoscopic examinations of the ear;

(6) 15 contact hours of troubleshooting of defective hearing instruments;

(7) 20 contact hours of case history with actual clients;

(8) 10 contact hours regarding the laws governing the licensing of persons fitting and dispensing hearing instruments and federal Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission regulations relating to the fitting and dispensing of hearing instruments; and

(9) 20 contact hours of supplemental work in one or more of the areas described by Subdivisions (1) through (8).

(d) A contact hour consists of 55 minutes.

(e) On completion of the directly supervised practicum required under Subsection (c), the temporary training permit holder shall complete the permit holder's training under the indirect supervision of the permit holder's supervisor.

Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.