(1) To approve the qualifications and fitness of applicants for licensure, and to adopt and revise rules and regulations requiring applicants to pass examinations relating to their qualifications as a prerequisite to the issuance of a license.

(2) To adopt and revise rules and regulations consistent with the law as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

(3) To examine for, deny, approve, issue, revoke, suspend or renew the licenses of speech-language pathologist and audiologist applicants, and provisional licenses for speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

(4) To conduct hearings upon complaints of violations of this act and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this act, and to prosecute and enjoin all such violations.

(5) To spend funds necessary for the proper performance of its assigned duties in accordance with the fiscal and other laws of this Commonwealth and upon approval by the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs.

(6) To waive examination and educational requirements and grant a license as provided in sections 6¹ and 7.²

(7) To establish standards of eligibility for license renewal. These standards shall include, but not be limited to, the demonstration of satisfactory completion of 20 clock hours of continuing education related to the practice of speech-language pathology and audiology in accordance with board regulations. No credit may be given for courses in office management or practice building. The board may waive all or part of the continuing education requirement to a licensee who shows to the satisfaction of the board that the licensee was unable to complete the requirement due to illness, emergency or hardship. The request for a waiver must be made in writing, with appropriate documentation, and must include a description of the circumstances sufficient to show why a licensee is unable to comply with the continuing education requirement. Waiver requests shall be evaluated by the board on a case-by-case basis. The board shall send the licensee written notification of its approval or denial of a waiver request. The requirement to demonstrate the satisfactory completion of continuing education shall begin with the biennial renewal period to be designated by regulation of the board and following written notice to licensees.

(8) To promulgate rules and regulations regarding persons functioning under the direction of audiologists or speech-language pathologists.

(9) To recognize national professional organizations in speech-language pathology and audiology that have established definitions of the practice of speech-language pathology and the practice of audiology. These organizations shall be the same as those recognized by the board under the provisions of section 7(b)(2). The board shall have the power to adopt those definitions to be the practical definitions of the practice of speech-language pathology and the practice of audiology for licensees under the board. If one or more of the recognized national professional organizations amends its definition, the amended definition cannot be added to the practice of speech-language pathology or the practice of audiology until it has been adopted by the board through regulation.

(10) To recognize national accrediting agencies which accredit programs of speech-language pathology as specified in section 7(a)(1) and programs of audiology as specified in section 7(a)(2).

(11) Within 18 months of the effective date of this section, the board shall promulgate regulations governing the use of instrumental technology by licensed speech-language pathologists.