§30-26-21. Sunset and transfer of duties provision; effective date.

(a) The State Board of Hearing-Aid Dealers and Fitters established in this article shall terminate on June 30, 2023, unless continued by the Legislature. Pursuant to §4-10-12 and §4-10-13 of this code, the board shall commence all necessary activities pertinent to the wind-up of all board-related activities. Notwithstanding the termination of the board, the regulation and licensure of hearing aid fitters engaged in the practice of dealing in or fitting of hearing aids under §30-26-1 et seq. of this code shall continue with the exception of §30-26-17(6) of this code.

(b) Upon termination of the board, the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology shall supervise, regulate, and control the practice of dealing in or fitting of hearing aids in this state. Notwithstanding any other provision of code, hearing aids, mean any wearable device or instrument intended to aid, improve, or compensate for defective or impaired human hearing, may be advertised for mail-order sale in any advertising medium and sold by mail-order sale to any person in this state upon the effective date of this legislation.