(A) The state speech and hearing professionals board shall issue to each applicant, within sixty days of receipt of a properly completed application and payment of an application fee set by the board in rules adopted under section 4747.04 of the Revised Code, a hearing aid dealer's or fitter's license if the applicant:

(1) In the case of an individual, the individual is at least eighteen years of age, has not committed a disqualifying offense or a crime of moral turpitude, as those terms are defined in section 4776.10 of the Revised Code, is free of contagious or infectious disease, and has successfully passed a qualifying examination specified and administered by the board.

(2) In the case of a firm, partnership, association, or corporation, the application, in addition to such information as the board requires, is accompanied by an application for a license for each person, whether owner or employee, of the firm, partnership, association, or corporation, who engages in dealing in or fitting of hearing aids, or contains a statement that such applications are submitted separately. No firm, partnership, association, or corporation licensed pursuant to this chapter shall permit any unlicensed person to sell or fit hearing aids.

(B)

(1) Subject to divisions (B)(2), (3), and (4) of this section, the board shall not adopt or enforce any rule that precludes an individual from receiving or renewing a license issued under this chapter due to any past criminal activity , unless the individual has committed a crime of moral turpitude or a disqualifying offense as those terms are defined in section 4776.10 of the Revised Code. The board shall comply with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code when denying an individual a license or license renewal .

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this division, if an individual applying for a license has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor that is not a crime of moral turpitude or a disqualifying offense less than one year prior to making the application, the board may use the board's discretion in granting or denying the individual a license. Except as otherwise provided in this division, if an individual applying for a license has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a felony that is not a crime of moral turpitude or a disqualifying offense less than three years prior to making the application, the board may use the board's discretion in granting or denying the individual a license. The provisions in this paragraph do not apply with respect to any offense unless the board, prior to September 28, 2012, was required or authorized to deny the application based on that offense.

In all other circumstances, the board shall follow the procedures it adopts by rule that conform to division (B)(1) of this section.

(3) In considering a renewal of an individual's license, the board shall not consider any conviction or plea of guilty prior to the initial licensing. However, the board may consider a conviction or plea of guilty if it occurred after the individual was initially licensed, or after the most recent license renewal.

(4) The board may grant an individual a conditional license that lasts for one year. After the one-year period has expired, the license is no longer considered conditional, and the individual shall be considered fully licensed.

(C)

(1) Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, each license issued is valid from the date of issuance until the thirty-first day of December of the even-numbered year that follows the date of issuance.

(2) A license issued less than one hundred days before the thirty-first day of December of an even-numbered year is valid from the date of issuance until the thirty-first day of December of the even-numbered year that follows the thirty-first day of December immediately after the date of issuance.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 420, §1, eff. 4/5/2019.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §130.11, eff. 1/21/2018.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.131, SB 337, §1, eff. 9/28/2012.

Effective Date: 06-26-2003 .