SENIOR SENATE PROPOSAL NO. 14

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR SENATOR LUCERO

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SP 14: PERSONAL AMPLIFIER LISTENING DEVICES.

EXISTING LAW PROVIDES FOR THE LICENSURE AND REGULATION OF HEARING AID DISPENSERS, WHO ENGAGE IN THE PRACTICE OF FITTING OR SELLING HEARING AIDS, BY THE HEARING AID DISPENSERS BOARD. EXISTING LAW MAKES IT UNLAWFUL TO FIT OR SELL ANY LISTENING DEVICE WITHOUT A LICENSE ISSUED BY THE BOARD.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE THE SALE OF PERSONAL AMPLIFIER LISTENING DEVICES AND ENCOURAGE HEARING AID MANUFACTURERS TO REDESIGN THE SALES AND SERVICES OF HEARING AIDS TO MAKE HIGH-QUALITY HEARING AIDS AVAILABLE TO CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS AT REASONABLE COSTS, CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL LAW.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

SP 14: PERSONAL AMPLIFIER LISTENING DEVICES

WHEREAS, ALTHOUGH HEARING DISORDERS MAY AFFLICT ANY PERSON, SENIOR CITIZENS AND THE NEEDY ARE LEAST ABLE TO AFFORD THE MEDICAL CARE REQUIRED TO IMPROVE THEIR HEARING; AND

WHEREAS, MOST SENIOR CITIZENS LIVE ON A FIXED INCOME AND CANNOT AFFORD THE EXTRA COSTS OF HEARING AIDS; AND

WHEREAS, SENIORS WITH IMPAIRED HEARING ARE LESS ABLE TO FUNCTION SOCIALLY AND THEIR LIMITED COMMUNICATION ABILITIES OFTEN LEAD TO LONELINESS, NONPRODUCTIVITY, AND THE INABILITY TO BE A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF SOCIETY. THESE SENIORS DESERVE A BETTER LIFESTYLE THAN THIS; AND

WHEREAS, THE COST OF A SET OF HIGH-QUALITY HEARING AIDS ACQUIRED THROUGH AN AUDIOLOGIST TYPICALLY EXCEEDS THE EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF $6,000; AND

WHEREAS, A PERSONAL AMPLIFIER LISTENING DEVICE (P.A.L.D.) CAN TEMPORARILY REMEDY HEARING IMPAIRMENTS AT REASONABLE COSTS; AND

WHEREAS, IN COMPARING THE COSTS OF HEARING AIDS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY IN HIGH-QUALITY HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS, WHICH HAS THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE AND AMPLIFY AUDIO FREQUENCIES AND REPRODUCE DISTORTION-FREE SOUND AT ALL FREQUENCIES AND LEVELS, AND WHICH IS MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THE TECHNOLOGY IN HEARING AIDS, YET COSTS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN A TYPICAL SET OF HEARING AIDS SOLD THROUGH AN AUDIOLOGIST, IT SEEMS UNREASONABLE FOR A PERSON TO ENDURE THE SUFFERING CAUSED BY A HEARING LOSS THROUGHOUT THE TIME THAT THE PERSON ATTEMPTS TO GATHER SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO VISIT AN AUDIOLOGIST; AND

WHEREAS, THE MANUFACTURING COST OF HIGH-QUALITY INTEGRATED CIRCUITS FOR A TYPICAL SET OF HEARING AIDS IS LESS THAN $12.50; AND

WHEREAS, A HIGH-QUALITY P.A.L.D. COULD TEMPORARILY REMEDY A PERSON’S HEARING IMPAIRMENT AND INCENTIVIZE CORPORATIONS THAT MANUFACTURE HEARING AIDS TO DEVELOP QUALITY SELF-FITTING P.A.L.D.S WITH REPLACEABLE BATTERIES THAT SELL FOR APPROXIMATELY $150 PER EAR, INSTEAD OF $2,500 PER EAR; AND

WHEREAS, HEARING AID MANUFACTURERS HAVE STATED THAT EVEN THE MOST EXPENSIVE SET OF HEARING AIDS CAN BE SOLD FOR JUST $100 TO $300 TO RENDER A PROFIT, AND THE AVAILABILITY OF P.A.L.D.S WOULD INCENTIVIZE MANUFACTURERS TO NECESSARILY REDESIGN THEIR SALES AND SERVICES; AND

WHEREAS, HEARING AID MANUFACTURERS HAVE STATED AND ARE WILLING TO TESTIFY THAT P.A.L.D.S ARE SAFE FOR CONSUMERS; AND

WHEREAS, IN PAST SESSIONS, THE CALIFORNIA SENIOR LEGISLATURE HAS VOTED A PERSONAL AMPLIFIER LISTENING DEVICE PROPOSAL AMONG THE TOP 10 PROPOSALS EACH TIME IT HAS BEEN PRESENTED; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR SENATE AND THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2012 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT THE SALE OF P.A.L.D.S BE AUTHORIZED AND THAT THE REDESIGN OF HEARING AIDS BE ENCOURAGED, CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL LAW; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT MANUFACTURERS OF P.A.L.D.S BE AUTHORIZED TO SELL QUALITY P.A.L.D.S UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT HEARING AID MANUFACTURERS DEVELOP HEARING AIDS AND SERVICES WITH COSTS THAT ARE COMMENSURATE WITH THE COSTS OF P.A.L.D.S; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT EACH HEARING AID MANUFACTURER OFFERING HEARING AIDS IN CALIFORNIA BE ENCOURAGED TO PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY HEARING AIDS AVAILABLE AT REASONABLE COSTS TO CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

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RN 12 16591