BOARD/COMMISSION:  Hearing Instrument Dispenser Advisory Council

The commissioner shall appoint seven persons to a Hearing Instrument Aid Dispenser Advisory Council. The seven persons must include:
(1) three public members, as defined in section 214.02. At least one of the public members shall be a prescription hearing instrument aid user and one of the public members shall be either a prescription hearing instrument aid user or an advocate of one;
(2) three hearing instrument aid dispensers certified under sections 153A.14 to 153A.20, each of whom is currently, and has been for the five years immediately preceding their appointment, engaged in prescription hearing instrument aid dispensing in Minnesota and who represent the occupation of prescription hearing instrument aid dispensing and who are not audiologists; and
(3) one audiologist licensed as an audiologist under chapter 148 who dispenses prescription hearing instruments aids, recommended by a professional association representing audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

The factors the commissioner may consider when appointing advisory council members include, but are not limited to, professional affiliation, geographical location, and type of practice.

No two members of the advisory council shall be employees of, or have binding contracts requiring sales exclusively for, the same prescription hearing instrument aid manufacturer or the same employer.

At the commissioner's request, the advisory council shall:
(1) advise the commissioner regarding hearing instrument aid dispenser certification standards;
(2) provide for distribution of information regarding hearing instrument aid dispenser certification standards;
(3) review investigation summaries of competency violations and make recommendations to the commissioner as to whether the allegations of incompetency are substantiated; and
(4) perform other duties as directed by the commissioner.